KATSEYE Breaks Silence on Sophia Laforteza’s Hiatus as Lara Raj Asks Fans to ‘Send Sophia Your Love’

KATSEYE has publicly addressed Sophia Laforteza’s temporary hiatus for the first time, offering a message of support to their bandmate during a major festival performance in California.

The 23-year-old singer recently announced that she would be stepping away from group activities to focus on her mental health, a decision that immediately prompted concern and messages of encouragement from fans around the world.

KATSEYE continued performing without Sophia at Head In The Clouds 2026 in Pasadena, California, on Saturday, August 8.

During the set, member Lara Raj paused before the group moved into its next song and directly acknowledged Sophia’s absence.

“Our sister Sophia cannot be here with us tonight,” Lara told the crowd.

She then asked the audience to show their support.

“Can you guys please send Sophia your love?”

The request was met with a loud response from fans, creating an emotional moment that quickly spread across social media.

Clips of Lara’s remarks went viral shortly after the performance, with many fans praising the group for publicly showing solidarity with Sophia while also respecting her decision to take time away.

The moment marked KATSEYE’s first public comments as a group since Sophia’s hiatus was announced.

Sophia revealed on August 7 that she would temporarily step back from KATSEYE in order to prioritize her mental health.

The announcement did not specify exactly how long she would be away, and there has been no confirmed timeline for her return.

Her absence is already affecting several scheduled KATSEYE activities.

Weverse Global recently informed fans that Sophia will not participate in the group’s upcoming Wild Pre-Order 1:1 Video Call Fan Sign Event, which is scheduled for August 21.

Fans who applied for or won a video call specifically with Sophia are being given the option to request refunds for their purchases.

The announcement provided another indication that her break is expected to extend beyond just a few days.

Sophia had also been absent from several KATSEYE appearances before officially announcing her hiatus.

Earlier this month, she did not attend the Los Angeles premiere of the group’s new movie, KATSEYE: WILD HEARTS.

At the time, the members who attended the premiere said Sophia was “sick” and therefore unable to participate.

No additional details were provided then, and the absence initially appeared to be temporary.

However, it followed another change to KATSEYE’s performance schedule.

In late July, Sophia withdrew from the group’s planned appearance at the 2026 Hinterland Music Festival in Iowa.

That cancellation, combined with her absence from the movie premiere and the later announcement of a mental health hiatus, led many fans to look back at those earlier missed events with new context.

KATSEYE has not suggested that fans should speculate about the exact circumstances surrounding Sophia’s decision.

Instead, Lara’s comments at Head In The Clouds focused entirely on support.

The wording was brief, but the message was clear: Sophia remains part of the group even while she is temporarily away from the stage.

Calling her “our sister” reinforced the sense of closeness among the members and helped reassure fans that the group is standing behind her.

For KATSEYE, the situation comes during a period of significant activity and visibility.

The group has continued expanding its international profile through performances, fan events and the release of KATSEYE: WILD HEARTS.

That makes Sophia’s absence especially noticeable, as fans are accustomed to seeing the members appear together during major promotional moments.

The hiatus also carries added significance because Sophia is not the first KATSEYE member to temporarily step away from group activities this year.

Earlier in 2026, Manon Bannerman announced her own temporary leave of absence.

Her hiatus also generated considerable discussion among fans, including rumors about what had led to her decision.

Interestingly, Sophia herself addressed some of that speculation in June.

At the time, she spoke about rumors surrounding Manon’s absence and attempted to clarify the situation for fans.

Now, only weeks later, Sophia is the member taking time away.

The parallel has not been lost on KATSEYE’s fan community.

Both situations have also highlighted the intense demands placed on young artists working within internationally promoted pop groups.

KATSEYE’s schedule includes live performances, media appearances, fan events, promotional campaigns and extensive travel.

For artists operating under that level of visibility, taking a temporary break can become a highly public decision even when the reasons behind it are deeply personal.

Sophia’s announcement specifically identified mental health as the reason for her hiatus.

That openness has encouraged many fans to respond with supportive messages rather than focusing exclusively on when she might return.

The group’s response at Head In The Clouds appeared to reinforce that approach.

Rather than offering a detailed update on Sophia’s condition, Lara simply asked fans to send her love.

It was an intentionally straightforward message.

There was no speculation.

There was no announcement about a return date.

There was simply recognition that their bandmate was absent and that the group wanted her to know she had support.

The reaction from the Pasadena crowd demonstrated just how strongly fans connected with that sentiment.

For those attending the festival, the moment became more than a routine acknowledgment of an absent member.

It served as a public expression of affection from both KATSEYE and its audience.

Meanwhile, Sophia’s continued absence from the August 21 video-call event confirms that some upcoming activities will proceed without her.

Fans who had hoped for one-on-one interactions with Sophia through the event will instead have the option to seek refunds, according to the Weverse notice.

Beyond that event, it remains unclear which future performances or appearances she may miss.

KATSEYE has not announced a specific date for Sophia’s return.

That uncertainty means the group may continue operating with a reduced lineup for the time being.

Still, Saturday’s festival appearance offered fans an important indication of how the members themselves are approaching the situation.

They are continuing with their scheduled work while making it clear that Sophia has not been forgotten or excluded.

The group’s public message was supportive rather than dramatic.

And for many fans, Lara’s words may have provided exactly the reassurance they were looking for.

Sophia Laforteza is taking time away.

Her return date remains unknown.

But as KATSEYE stood onstage without her in Pasadena, the group made one thing unmistakably clear: they still see her as their sister.

And when Lara asked thousands of fans to send Sophia their love, the answer came back loudly.