Key Takeaways
- KATSEYE member Sophia Laforteza announced that she is taking a temporary hiatus from the group to prioritize her mental health, saying the decision "wasn't easy" but that "health has to come first."
- Her break, advised by medical professionals for extended rest and ongoing care, means she will miss key appearances including Head In the Clouds at the Rose Bowl, The Tonight Show, the Katseye: Wild Hearts premiere, and Olivia Rodrigo's Daisy Chain Fields festival, with her participation in the WildWorld Tour to be reassessed in September.
- Laforteza promised fans she will "heal properly, and come back stronger," while KATSEYE and HYBE x Geffen emphasized their support for her recovery, echoing the group's earlier statement backing fellow member Manon Bannerman's ongoing mental health hiatus.
KATSEYE member Sophia Laforteza has announced that she's temporarily stepping away from the girl group to prioritze her mental health.
Making the announcement in an Instagram Story on Friday (August 7), Laforteza's news came just one day before the HYBE-signed group performed a headlining set at music festival Head In the Clouds at Pasadena stadium Rose Bowl.
"It truly breaks my heart to have to miss out on a lot," she wrote. "You know how much I love being on stage, performing, and sharing these moments with you."
She continued: “Making this decision wasn't easy, but I'm learning that health has to come first. I'm realizing that if I don't take care of my mind and body now, I won't be able to keep doing what I love the most for so long."
The 23-year-old went on to share plans of an eventual return to the "Gnarly" group. "I promise I'm going to work as hard as I can to get through this, heal properly, and come back stronger,” she wrote.
In a statement posted to the group’s Weverse account, it was shared that Laforteza had been advised she take "dedicated time for extended rest and ongoing care to ensure a full recovery," according to Variety.
The artist was absent from recent Katseye performances and media appearances, sitting out the group's July 30 performance at the Hinterland Music Festival in Iowa due to illness, and was absent from the Katseye: Wild Hearts documentary premiere on August 4 in Los Angeles.
The group's Wild EP is scheduled to release on August 14 and its uncertain whether Laforteza will join her group members for the WildWorld Tour, which begins September 1 in Dublin, Ireland.
Fellow Katseye member Manon Bannerman, who announced her own mental health break in February, has also been absent from the group's recent live shows and promotional interviews.
"After open and thoughtful conversations together, we are sharing that Manon will be taking a temporary hiatus from group activities to focus on her health and wellbeing," read a group statement at the time.
"Katseye remains committed to showing up for one another and for the fans who mean everything to us. The group will continue scheduled activities during this time, and we look forward to being together again when the time is right."
