Sophia Laforteza is ready to throw her pinky up once again.
Two months after the KATSEYE member announced she would be taking a temporary step back from the group to focus on her mental health, her record label confirmed she will make her return in the new year.
“We are happy to share that Sophia will resume group activities with KATSEYE beginning the first week of January 2027,” read a statement from HYBE x Geffen Records Oct. 8. “Sophia has been prioritizing her health and well-being with our full support and re
Though the statement noted that Laforteza will not be participating in the girl group’s Wildworld Tour in North America, nor would she be present at promotional events throughout the rest of 2026, the label looks “forward to welcoming her back as KATSEYE continues this next chapter together in 2027.”
And while the 23-year-old has taken time to focus on her wellbeing, her team thanked fans for their loyal backing.
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How KATSEYE Navigated Manon, Sophia’s Hiatuses and Other Difficult Moments
“We are incredibly grateful to EYEKONS for the continued love, support, and understanding you’ve shown Sophia and KATSEYE,” the statement added. “Thank you for standing by her, and we look forward to celebrating her return with you in the new year.”
Laforteza shocked fans Aug. 7 after it was announced she would be temporarily stepping away from the girl group just six months after her bandmate Manon Bannerman announced she’d be going on a hiatus.
And following news of her return to the group—which also features members Yoonchae, Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj and Megan Skiendiel—Laforteza shed light on her time out of the spotlight, thanking fans for their “patience, grace and understanding.”
“Your kindness during this time has given me more strength than you know,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories, per Variety. “It hasn’t been easy, but I have been putting in the work by receiving the care I need, learning the tools to better support myself, and doing everything I can to nurture my well-being.”
And even after she hits the stage with KATSEYE again, she’ll be implementing the tools she’s learned to care for her mental health.
“It pains me deeply that I won’t be able to participate in the remainder of the tour this year,” she explained. “I’m going to use this time to continue training and get myself to where I need to be again. As much as I wish I could simply push through, I’ve come to understand that sometimes having the courage to take a step back is what allows you to move forward.”
“My hope is to return feeling happier, healthier, stronger, more grounded, and ready to give you everything I’ve been wanting to give you,” she added. “I’m holding onto that so tightly. I can’t wait to share the stage with my sisters again and look out to all of you!”
Keep reading for more on KATSEYE…
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The show saw 20 global contestants undergo challenges to create what Hybe chairman Bang Si-hyuk described as “an international group based on K-pop methodology.”
The process, including the yearslong training candidates had to go through, was chronicled in the Netflix docuseries Pop Star Academy: Katseye.
She began her career at a young age, most notably performing alongside her mom on the Philippine talk show She Said, She Said when she was 5 years old.
Chosen out of 120,000 worldwide applicants, Sophia—representing the Philippines—consistently wowed Dream Academy judges with her polished performances. She was also often ranked high in the fan-voted challenges.
So, it was no wonder that she placed first in the show’s finale with an overall top score of 88.33.
In August 2026, Sophia announced that she would be taking a temporary hiatus to focus on her physical and mental health.
“I began vocal lessons, acting training and dance classes in Dallas, Texas, where I spent my early childhood,” she told Voyage LA magazine in 2020. “I spent years performing with the Septien Entertainment Group there at venues like the House of Blues, Hard Rock Cafe, American Airlines Center, Six Flags and various music festivals.”
She moved to New York City as a teen to study at Professional Performing Arts School and Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, which boasts an alumni list including Jennifer Aniston and Timothée Chalamet. Between classes, she auditioned for various performing and modeling gigs before landing an appearance on a 2018 episode of The Blacklist.
As seen in Pop Star Academy, Lara was introduced after producers believe they needed “a vocalist that will sell out stadiums.”
She made it into KATSEYE—spelled with a “K” under her suggestion—with a second place score of 82.67.
She had already competed on America’s Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation—as well as appeared in a 2013 episode of The Queen Latifah Show as part of an “America’s Most Talented Kids” segment—before being recruited for Dream Academy.
That’s why when she started training for the competition, producers found her to be the strongest technical dancer.
Representing the United States, Daniela joined KATSEYE after achieving a third place score of 79.00 in the show’s finale.
In fact, she started training to become an idol as a tween, spending two years with K-pop management group WakeOne. So, while the then-15-year-old was more than ready for Dream Academy, her biggest challenge was admittedly “trying to learn more about the other members’ cultures.”
“Of course, another challenge for me was embracing English as a language, especially since I was not used to it before,” she told Billboard Philippines in 2025. “I’d like to think that I made some progress there.”
In the series, Yoonchae placed fourth with an overall score of 78.00.
She appeared as an extra in 2015’s Jurassic World, before landing minor parts in Raven’s Home, Sydney to the Max and Bosch: Legacy.
As documented in Pop Star Academy, Megan was one of the earliest candidates to train for the competition. She placed fifth in the Dream Academy finale with a score of 68.33.
In September 2024, Megan took a brief break due to a back injury related to scoliosis.
“At school, they pronounced Meret so strangely,” she explained to Swiss-German newspaper Tages-Anzeiger in 2023. “So I switched to Manon. That worked better.”
She was scouted for Dream Academy after Hybe casting manager Michelle Kim saw her on social media. At the time, Manon was living in Switzerland and had little dance experience, leading to producers inviting her to Los Angeles to train.
She was the final addition to the six KATSEYE members, scoring 68.00 in the competition.
In February 2026, KATSEYE announced that Manon would be taking a temporary break to “focus on her health and wellbeing.”
