Global girl group Katseye has revealed they have received death threats and sexist comments since their debut last year.
The six-member group told BBC News that thousands of threatening messages have been sent to them and their families.
“I try to tell myself it doesn’t matter, but if 1,000 people are sending you death threats, it’s jarring,” said member Lara Raj. “Even if it’s not going to happen, it’s heavy.”
Raj, an American citizen with Tamil Indian heritage, disclosed she deleted her X account after being falsely reported to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She was accused of working and residing in the United States without legal authorisation despite being a US citizen.
“I realised I am not the audience for other people’s opinions,” she said.
Raj described the comments as incredibly sexist and “dystopian”. She explained that people rank the members based on appearance, singing skill, and dancing skill, then calculate a percentage score for each member.
Member Sophia Laforteza acknowledged the toll of public scrutiny on the group. “Our career has been really short, but I feel like we’ve already had a lot of things said to us, to our families,” she said. “We know that we signed up for being so public. We know it’s a part of fame. But it doesn’t change the fact that we are human.”
Raj also shared her experience during the group’s Asia tour in September 2024. She broke down the day they performed in the Philippines after seeing death threats online. “I saw death threats that day,” she said, describing social media’s severe impact on her mental health.
Formation of Katseye Through International Competition and Rigorous Training
Katseye was formed under a partnership between South Korea’s Hybe Corporation, the company behind BTS and NewJeans, and US label Geffen Records. The group was conceived in 2023 with the goal of creating “the first truly global girl group”.
An international talent search in 2022 drew over 120,000 applicants from across the world. The process was documented in the Netflix reality competition series The Debut: Dream Academy, where contestants were trained and evaluated through a blend of K-pop and Western pop performance systems.
Six members were ultimately selected from diverse backgrounds. Lara Raj lived in New York. Sophia Laforteza is Filipino. Manon Bannerman is Swiss-Ghanaian and lived in Zurich. Daniela Avanzini, a Venezuelan-Cuban American from Atlanta, is a ballroom dancer who had appeared on America’s Got Talent and was a top 10 finalist on So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation. Megan Skiendziel is a Chinese-Singaporean American dancer and vocalist from Honolulu. Jeung Yoonchae from South Korea had spent five years training to be a K-pop idol.
The group trained in Los Angeles under a system modelled on K-pop’s rigorous choreography and vocal standards. They officially debuted in Jun 2024 with the single “Debut”, followed by their first EP SIS (Soft Is Strong) two months later.
The group’s formation and journey was chronicled in the Netflix docuseries Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE, which premiered in Aug 2024.
Grammy Nominations and Chart Success for Diverse Girl Group
Katseye’s English-language single “Touch” went viral on TikTok and earned them chart placements in both Asia and the US. “Gnarly” became their first Billboard Hot 100 entry.
Katseye has been nominated for two Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist. They have appeared at major festivals and in global brand campaigns, including a viral advertisement for clothing brand Gap.
Member Manon Bannerman spoke about the group’s commitment to diversity. “We exist for girls who are proud of their backgrounds,” she said. “We want them to feel proud, regardless of their appearance or background.”
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