KATSEYE singer Sophia Laforteza announces hiatus for her mental health

Sophia Laforteza is taking a break from the pop group KATSEYE to focus on her mental health, NME reported on August 7, just a day before the group was set to headline the Head in the Clouds Music & Arts Festival at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. In a statement on her Instagram Story, Laforteza said, "Making this decision wasn't easy, but I'm learning that health has to come first."

HYBE x Geffen Records said in a post on Weverse that Laforteza "will be temporarily unable to participate in upcoming promotional activities," adding that "it is imperative that her mental health and wellness are prioritized."

Laforteza's hiatus comes six months after bandmate Manon Bannerman also stepped back to focus on her own health and wellbeing; Bannerman has not yet returned to the group. KATSEYE previously pushed back on speculation that Bannerman's absence was about race, saying such speculation "goes against everything that we stand for."

The Rose Bowl show went ahead the next day with four of the group's six original members: Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel and Yoonchae Jeung performed the headlining set without Laforteza or Bannerman, the Los Angeles Times reported. The Times reported Laforteza's condition will be reassessed in September, just as KATSEYE is scheduled to kick off its world tour.

KATSEYE are still set to release their next EP, WILD, on August 14, following last year's Beautiful Chaos, which included "Gnarly," a song NME named the fifth best of 2025. The group has also announced a 2026 WILDWORLD tour across the UK, Europe and North America, including shows at London's O2 and Manchester's Co-op Live, and the EP is already projected for a No. 1 Billboard debut.