2 days ago
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Katseye singer Lara Raj has revealed that the Grammy-nominated girl group has been targeted with death threats and racial harassment. The 20-year-old singer, who is of Tamil Indian heritage and a US citizen, said she’s been overwhelmed by the scale of the abuse.
She told BBC News: “I try to tell myself it doesn't matter, but if 1,000 people are sending you death threats, it's jarring.
“Even if it's not going to happen, it's heavy.”
Raj also disclosed that she was falsely reported to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with claims that she was “working and residing in the United States without legal authorisation”.
In response to the online abuse, Raj has stepped back from social media.
She said: “I deleted Twitter (now-X).
“I realised I am not the audience for other people's opinions.”
The group, which is nominated for best new artiste at the 2026 Grammys, has not detailed the specific nature of the threats.
Katseye members recently expressed that their biggest goal is to make a "genuine impact on culture" and "change pop music".
The Los Angeles-based K-pop-style girl group – formed on the reality show Dream Academy in 2023 – recently made its live debut in the UK, with an intimate concert at London’s Exhibition White City as part of an exclusive fan showcase.
Katseye arrives at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards on Saturday, Jun 21, 2025. (Photo: AP/Richard Shotwell)
Leader Sophia Laforteza said the girl group, completed by Daniela Avanzini, Manon Bannerman, Megan Skiendiel and Jeong Yoon-chae, wants people from across the world to "feel seen".
She was quoted by The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column as saying: “Making a genuine impact on culture is our biggest goal – that being representation and changing pop music.
“A big thing about us is being versatile. We switch it up with every project we put out. Even on each EP, every song is different and that is important to us.
“I like putting our cultures into each one of our songs, like we did on Gabriela – we want to put in our own languages, make people feel seen and be the representation that we never had.”
Katseye's members come from the Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland and the US.
