Manon Appears In KATSEYE’s New Photoshoot, Fans Question HYBE’s Motive
KATSEYE‘s latest promotional material for their upcoming song, “Pinky Up,” has created a new wave of discourse around Manon‘s ongoing hiatus.
On April 7, KST, Nylon magazine published a piece on the girl group, along with a pictorial that featured all six members dressed according to the “Pinky Up” concept.
Nylon made it clear that the interview and pictorial were both from a week before Manon’s hiatus was announced.
KATSEYE for Nylon in photoshoot for their upcoming release Pinky Up. Manon is featured and styled for this era. It is solid confirmation she was cut.
The interview is from a week before the hiatus announcement dropped and Nylon says there were zero signs from the members. pic.twitter.com/xb6WzZs2JR
— KATSEYE News (@NewsKatseye) April 7, 2026
Given that Manon has so far been absent from all promotional material for “Pinky Up,” including the teasers, her appearance in the pictorial came as a shock to many. It sparked heated debate over what the real situation of this comeback might be.
Some felt that this pictorial was evidence that Manon was intentionally erased from all-things-“Pinky Up.” Many even speculated that she might have found out about it at the same time as fans, when the content was released, which prompted her to remove KATSEYE’s name from her Instagram bio.
now im beginning to think that manon found out she was cut from the mv (teasers) at the same time that we were, hence her removing the group name from her bio after :/ even now the group’s official accs refuse to tag her in their posts like… what the hell happened in that week! https://t.co/UpP0wISayi
— ★ gecqua fans nyc (@sarpongz) April 7, 2026
so it’s very likely that manon found out in real time like the rest of us that she was cut entirely from the music video and that’s what lead to her removing katseye from her bio… oh all hell would be raised cause what https://t.co/XJz0FrtcrG
— jolt (@meltborne) April 7, 2026
Seeing that Manon was originally part of the concept just confirms that it was all reshot or carefully edited to remove her. Hxg are willing to spend resources to purposely exclude a member but that’s the environment yall want her back in?
— Uzezi (@shekuaep) April 7, 2026
There is another angle being discussed about Manon’s possible appearance in the actual “Pinky Up” music video. In this case, fans are apprehensive that HYBE might be milking Manon’s hiatus and intentionally putting out content excluding her, just to create a spectacle out of her eventual return.
so shes either COMPLETELY CUT from the video or she filmed it and is cut from the teasers and shes basically being used as pr from hxg .. https://t.co/mlfhVb8Ynw
— bella ♡🫧 (@jbieberrswaggg) April 7, 2026
im convinced this is all a pr tactic from hxg… and im seriously unstanning katseye if it turns out to really be one https://t.co/MI99Q2dmXN
— amz (@barbieskjn) April 7, 2026
This entire drama revolving around Manon and the rest of the group has been nothing but one weird PR stunt 😭they (the whole group) and HxG knew what they were doing https://t.co/N3atCFjnjb
— Lily (@Liliagirl705) April 7, 2026
Regardless of either possibility, fans are expressing their deep exhaustion with the growing lack of clarity surrounding Manon’s situation, which, in turn, is hurting KATSEYE’s public image.
my theories:
1. manon leaves and its weird
2. manon returns and its weird pic.twitter.com/BQBpsSCR2T— chloe 💋 loves manon (@eolhc69_) April 7, 2026
okay but just a little reminder that even if this DOES MEAN manon is back what they did to her is STILL unacceptable and it stalls a precedent for the mistreatment of black women in the industry that we will not support. HxG watch ur back pic.twitter.com/is9s97uu3V
— soph MIGHT be putting her pinky up?… (@danielarepitas) April 7, 2026
this is such a mess djdbdkddbdn https://t.co/Y6GlGIYID9
— 👨🏾💻 (@soIodown) April 7, 2026
Ohhhhh my goshhhhhhhhh just tell us if she’s there or not!! Why is everyone speaking in riddles????
IS MANON BANNERMAN STILL IN KATSEYE OR NOT? https://t.co/5Ir1PK3g0U pic.twitter.com/20vrT6C3nO
— Lyn🪽 (@darasdestiny) April 7, 2026
