KATSEYE shares support for Sophia ahead of her planned January return

KATSEYE’s members have shared a message of support for Sophia Laforteza as fans look toward her planned return in January. Lara Raj, speaking alongside Daniela Avanzini, Megan Skiendiel and Yoonchae Jeung, told E! News that the group was proud of Sophia for taking time for her health, according to Mya Copeland’s Variety report.

Their remarks at Sunday’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show add a new expression of support to an existing plan. They do not move her return forward into the remaining 2026 tour dates.

What her bandmates said

“We are so proud of her,” Raj said, in the E! interview reported by Variety. The comments framed Sophia as a close member of the group whose decision to take space for herself deserved respect.

For fans, the distinction between encouragement and a schedule change matters. Public support is meaningful without being evidence of a particular medical milestone or an earlier performance commitment. No diagnosis or recovery assessment is established by these remarks.

What the official schedule says

The October 9 notice on Universal Music Japan’s official KATSEYE page reproduces the full English HYBE x GEFFEN statement alongside a Japanese translation. It specifies the first week of January 2027 for Sophia’s resumption of group activities and says she is sitting out the North American tour and promotions for the rest of this year.

That notice is the scheduling source for this article. The latest interview is a separate development, and the January timeline should not be presented as if it were announced for the first time on Monday.

What remains unannounced

Variety reports that Manon’s return has not been announced. Sophia’s plan does not establish a date for another member or promise a full-group appearance at a particular event.

Fans considering a show should therefore check the official information for that event rather than infer participation from a supportive interview. The confirmed plan is a return to group activities in early January; a specific first performance is not identified in the label notice reviewed here.

Photograph and reuse notes

Archive photo: KATSEYE at Wango Tango in Huntington Beach, California, May 10, 2025. Photo: Warmtoned / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. The six-member archive image predates the current hiatuses and does not show the October 2026 interview or current tour lineup. The website photograph is resized/compressed with responsive display cropping. Social adaptations add a crop, contrast gradient, NewsCubby branding and translated headline. No endorsement by the photographer, subject or organization is implied. Original photograph and rights record; license.