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.

Los Angeles theater owner Kristen Stewart is celebrating one of the city’s most iconic movie houses coming back to life.

Last month, Sony announced plans to restore and reopen Hollywood’s Cinerama Dome, with the Sony-owned Alamo Drafthouse operating both the Dome and the former ArcLight Theater Hollywood location that sits next door. It’s set to reopen in early 2028, after having been closed since 2020.

Meanwhile, Stewart became another theater savior this year as she purchased the Highland Theatre in Highland Park, a 100-year-old venue that closed in spring 2024. At the L.A. premiere of her new movie The Wrong Girls, Stewart reacted to the Cinerama Dome revival, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “It took forever! It took Sony to do it. I hope they don’t fuck it up!” before adding, “No, they won’t. I’m so grateful.”

There has been plenty of chatter about the reopening, with some fearing that Alamo Drafthouse’s mobile ordering model may significantly change the experience at the venue. But Sony has emphasized that the Dome itself will not have in-theater dining, and the company said in a statement, “The restoration will honor the landmark’s distinctive aesthetic character, immersive large-format curved-screen presentation and traditional concession experience that have made it a beloved destination for generations.”

As for the Highland Theatre, Stewart told Architectural Digest earlier this year, “I didn’t realize I was looking for a theater until this place came to my attention. Then it was like a gunshot went off and the race was on. I ran toward it with everything I had.”

The native Angeleno is planning her own restoration of the venue, saying, “This project is about creating a new school and restructuring our processes, finding a better way forward. We want to make it a family affair, something for the community. It’s not just for pretentious Hollywood cinephiles. I see it as an antidote to all the corporate bullshit, a place that takes movie culture away from just buying and selling. I think there’s a huge desire and craving for what this kind of space can offer.”