Renowned girl group KATSEYE shared that they have often been targets of online death threats and hate
The group, popularly known for their Netflix Show ‘Pop Star Academy’, admitted that they face heavy scrutiny on the internet, and it is one of the challenges they face.
KATSEYE shot to fame last year thanks to their documentary series and recently received Grammy nominations for best new artist and best group performance.
It is comprised of six members, Lara Raj, Daniela Avanzini, Manon Bannerman, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza, and Yoonchae Jeung, who are from the United States, Switzerland, the Philippines, and South Korea.
“Our careers have been really short, but we’ve gotten a lot of things already said to us, about us, and to our friends and family. It’s something that we know we signed up for, being so public. We know it is a part of the job and a part of the fame. But that doesn’t change the fact that we are human,” Laforteza said.
According to CNN, 20-year-old Lara Raj admitted that the online harshness from people affected them in some way.
“If a thousand people are sending you death threats … even if it’s not going to happen … it’s heavy, and it’s jarring,” she said.
The rest of the band members nodded in agreement to the statements and the weight they have to bear on their shoulders.
Mark Savage, the interviewer, inquired if the rest of the members had all received these kinds of threats. Surprisingly, all six women indeed agreed that they had experienced the same saying ‘so many’ and ‘yes.’
The young ladies earned their spot in KATSEYE after a difficult 12-week tryout program, “The Debut: Dream Academy.” The program was designed like the K-pop artist training method and was put together by K-pop entertainment leader HYBE and US label Geffen Records.
They were required to finish tasks that involved planning dance moves, practising, and performing. Despite the training program being “very rigorous, very demanding,” it impacted the position they are in, on top of the entertainment world
“It really equipped us for where we are now,” 22-year-old Sophia added.