Katseye’s Sophia Laforteza Announces “Mental Health” Break From Popular Girl Group

Sophia Laforteza, a singer with the popular girl group Katseye, is taking a temporary break to focus on her “mental health and wellness,” the group has announced.

In a statement posted to social media site Weverse, the group said that Laforteza “will be temporarily unable to participate in upcoming promotional activities,” and noted, “it is imperative that her mental health and wellness are prioritized.”

The statement continued, “Sophia has been receiving the utmost support, and following thorough consultations with medical professionals, it has been advised that she take dedicated time for extended rest and ongoing care to ensure a full recovery. While Sophia herself is eager to perform alongside her members, the health, safety, and long-term well-being of our artists will always remain our highest priority.”

While the statement did not provide details about the health challenges, it said that her condition will be reassessed in September with further updates to come then.

Laforteza’s temporary absence means she will not perform alongside her bandmates in the upcoming Pasadena music festival Head in the Clouds tomorrow, August 8. Katseye is expected to perform alongside K-pop groups.

The announcement also comes a week before the release of Katseye’s new EP Wild, and six months after another group member, Manon Bannerman, announced her own temporary hiatus to focus on health and well-being.

In a separate statement posted today to Laforteza’s Instagram Story, the 23-year-old singer wrote, “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 message continued, “It means more to me than I could ever say. I promise I’m going to work as hard as I can to get through this, heal properly, and come back stronger.”

The Los Angeles-based Katseye (often stylized as KATSEYE) first gained notice by winning the 2023 talent competition reality show The Debut: Dream Academy. The following year, the group was featured in the Netflix documentary Pop Star Academy: Katseye. In addition to Laforteza and Bannerman, the group’s original members are Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel and Yoonchae Jeung.

The group includes members from the Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States.