Manon Bannerman of KATSEYE, the global girl group under Korean entertainment company HYBE and American label Geffen Records, has taken a step back from the spotlight. At least, for now.
News of Bannerman’s exit was made public in a recent joint announcement from HYBE and Geffen Records. “Manon will be taking a temporary hiatus from group activities to focus on her health and wellbeing,” wrote the statement. “KATSEYE remains committed to showing up for one another and for the fans who mean everything to us.”
Bannerman herself reassured her fans in a message posted on her WeVerse DM channel. “Sometimes things unfold in ways we don’t fully control, but I’m trusting the bigger picture,” wrote the girl group member. “Thank you for standing by me.” She will be absent from the rest of KATSEYE’s upcoming activities, including their Lollapalooza concerts this March and their performance at Coachella Arts & Music Festival this April.
This isn’t the first time, however, that a HYBE girl group departure has made headlines, although past exits were arguably less cut and dry than Bannerman’s.
The NewJeans Drama
Last December, HYBE subsidiary ADOR terminated the exclusive contract of NewJeans’ Danielle Marsh, the Korean-Australian member who’s been credited as lyricist for some of the girl group’s major hits, including “Super Shy” and “Attention.”
Just days later, the subsidiary filed a lawsuit against Marsh, one of her family members, and former ADOR CEO Min Heejin for roughly $30 million in damages, citing a year-long dispute that saw the girl group members claim mistreatment and attempt to break their contract.
“I fought until the very end to be together with the [NewJeans] members and that truth stays with me,” Marsh said in a YouTube livestream addressing the lawsuit. “NewJeans will always be a part of my heart.”
For now, it seems as if NewJeans is here to stay despite Marsh’s departure, although it’s unclear how long its remaining members will last. Earlier this February, ADOR removed the members’ names from NewJeans’ Spotify bio, while also replacing all social media banners with the NewJeans text logo.
Le Sserafim’s Kim Garam
In 2022, HYBE and subsidiary Source Music terminated the exclusive contract of Le Sserafim’s Kim Garam, just two months after the girl group’s debut.
Prior to her contract termination, Kim had already been facing backlash online for bullying allegations. Although she initially denied claims of bullying classmates and underage smoking, she later admitted to having received Degree 5 Disciplinary Action from her school’s violence committee.
“I am working hard to become a better person,” Kim said in a statement addressing her dismissal. “I’m endlessly thankful to my precious fans who love and support me.”
The Whole of Fromis_9
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In 2024, roughly around the same time NewJeans went public with its legal battle against ADOR and when another girl group, Loosemble, exited its label, all nine members of girl group Fromis_9 announced that they would be leaving their HYBE subsidiary, PLEDIS Entertainment.
In its official announcement of the exit, PLEDIS noted that it had been an “amicable conclusion” and that, after discussing in-depth with each member their hopes for the future, they ended the contracts.
Five of Fromis_9’s members are currently signed under music agency ASND Entertainment and will be releasing their first Japanese EP this April.
