“I realised I am not the audience for other people's opinions."
Girl group KATSEYE revealed that they have received multiple death threats, with Lara Raj facing racism and even being falsely reported to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The group made its debut in 2024 and while they have amassed a loyal following, they have also faced adversity.
KATSEYE was recently nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards.
They revealed that the messages, which have also targeted their families, “can get really heavy”.
Lara 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.”
Lara, who is of Tamil Indian heritage, has also been subjected to racist comments and was falsely reported to ICE for “working and residing in the United States without legal authorisation”, despite her being a US citizen.
To avoid seeing negative comments, the 20-year-old has deleted X.
“I realised I am not the audience for other people’s opinions.”
Lara also pointed out the sexist nature of some comments:
“People see us as women to rank.
“They’ll grade us based on how pretty we are, our singing skill, dancing skill, and then add it up and give us a percentage. That’s so dystopian.”
Fellow KATSEYE member Manon Bannerman added:
“I feel like it’s very terrorising on the mind.”
This is not the first time Lara Raj has been subjected to racist remarks.
In the lead-up to the release of ‘Gnarly’, there were plagiarism claims and amid the backlash, some began spouting racist and personal insults towards Lara.
Despite the online negativity, KATSEYE has had a remarkable 2025.
Their second EP, Beautiful Chaos, peaked at number two in the US album charts, thanks to the gratingly brilliant lead single, ‘Gnarly’, and the Charli XCX-penned follow-up, ‘Gabriella’.
An advert they filmed for the clothing brand Gap went viral in August, racking up 400 million plays.
In September 2025, they won Push Performance of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards.
They have now become only the third girl group in history to receive a Best New Artist nomination at the Grammys, following SWV and Wilson Phillips.
And, despite the online pushback she’s received, Lara Raj encourages musicians from diverse backgrounds to pursue their dreams.
She stated: “Please do it. You cannot feel held back. Our skin colour, our culture is our power. Use it and own it.”
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