What Happens When The “It Girl" is Black?

On February 20th, 2026, HYBE x Geffen released a statement announcing that KATSEYE member Manon Bannerman would be taking a hiatus from the group until further notice. The news broke just weeks after the group's nomination and performance at the 2026 Grammy Awards, an appearance that had only amplified ongoing criticism surrounding the group's dynamic and musical direction. 

Most fans weren’t entirely surprised. Manon, however, appeared less prepared for the announcement. On K-pop fan community platform Weverse, she posted a message that felt equal parts professional and guarded: “Sometimes things unfold in ways we do not fully control, but I’m trusting the bigger picture. Thank you for standing by me. I love you endlessly and can’t wait to see you guys soon.” For a hiatus framed as a personal decision, the tone raised eyebrows. Fans immediately began speculating the reality behind this decision. 

This naturally raises the question: was this ever really Manon’s choice? 

The narrative surrounding her has been building for years, dating back to before the group debuted. In the 2024 documentary KATSEYE: Pop Star Academy, Manon was repeatedly framed as the weakest link of the competition, unable to pull her weight. An entire segment centered on her apologizing to the other girls and committing to do better. She did improve, and noticeably so.  However, especially in the world of K-pop, first impressions are often permanent. That “lazy” label followed her out of the documentary and into her career, quietly shadowing every performance and comment section since the group became final. Therefore, the real question isn’t whether Manon deserved this, but whether she was given a fair shot at proving it. 

This pattern isn’t new, and it isn’t unique to K-pop. 

In 2020, former girl group member Normani opened up about her time in Fifth Harmony in an interview with Women’s Health, describing years of targeted racial abuse within one of the most successful girl groups in recent Western pop history. “Having certain things happen so blatantly while also feeling like the 'other' and being so young and hearing the public compare [the group members] took a toll on my confidence,” she told the publication. "For a long time, I didn’t believe in myself because I didn’t feel like I was given the opportunity to." Fifth Harmony dissolved in 2016 amid reported creative differences and unspoken tensions. Normani never received a hiatus, a label statement, or any public acknowledgment of what she’d endured, but the strain was unmistakable, visible in her face during interviews and performances as the group pushed forward. 

The mistreatment of Black women in entertainment spaces isn’t a series of isolated incidents. It is a pattern that is documented, repeated, and rarely interrupted. Black women are told they must work twice as hard, and then criticized twice as harshly when they do. They are positioned as the weakest link in groups, where that role is usually determined before anyone has had a chance to perform. And when they do finally speak out, or are quietly pushed aside, the industry moves on with little accountability. 

Manon has since confirmed she will not return to the group for Coachella 2026. But the questions haven’t gone away. What led to this? Who really made this call? And what does it say about the structures that determine which girls get to shine and which ones are set up to fail?

So what happens when a girl group has a member who has never truly been given the chance to succeed? Well, we may already be watching the answer unfold; we just have to be willing to name what we’re seeing