Members of The Pussycat Dolls have claimed they weren’t told about the cancellation of their reunion tour, before Nicole Scherzinger announced it on social media.
On Friday night, the band’s lead singer said their planned tour dates wouldn’t go ahead due to the “ever-evolving circumstances surrounding the pandemic”.
In a statement shared on Instagram, Nicole wrote: “Thank you to everyone who had tickets to see PCD – we are so appreciative of your support and loyalty!”
“With the ever-evolving circumstances surrounding the pandemic, I understand the decision that the tour dates had to be canceled.”
“I have invested a huge amount of time, creative energy, and my own finances into bringing this project back to life.
“And while I’m naturally incredibly saddened by this decision, I am also very proud of what we were able to achieve in the short amount of time we had together before COVID,” she continued.
“I can’t put into words the amount of love, admiration, and gratitude I have for the other girls in the group and the fans that have supported us. Stay safe and healthy – love and blessings. Nicole xo.”
Nicole’s bandmates Carmit Bachar and Jessica Sutta have since shared a joint statement on social media, claiming they were unaware of the tour being scrapped.
“We want to say how incredibly disappointed we are to learn of an announcement made on Instagram that the Pussycat Dolls reunion tour is canceled. As of now, there has been no official notification of that,” they wrote.
“Either way, it seems as though it’s the end of a chapter to an incredible, life altering experience filled with some awesome memories that we will forever be grateful for.”
“To the fans, we love you. Trust us, this is not the outcome we had hoped for. We wanted it as much as you because we appreciate you all so much and it hurts our hearts you had to wait so long for an answer, but unfortunately it’s out of our control.”
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Robin Antin, who founded The Pussycat Dolls, also shared a separate statement on social media.
The 60-year-old wrote: “All of us have made personal & financial sacrifices, but that’s what it takes to be a team player in a ‘BAND’. Let’s not forget there are 5 other members of this group who I care for deeply, who deserve to be heard.”
“There are truths to this situation, I just hope one day they see the light,” she added.
The band’s two other members, Ashley Roberts and Kimberly Wyatt, are yet to comment on the situation.
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The news comes after Robin Antin filed a lawsuit against Nicole in September, accusing the singer of refusing to participate in the tour unless she was given a majority share and complete creative control of their reunion.
Back in 2019, the pair reportedly agreed Nicole would get 49 percent of shares and profits from the tour under a short-form agreement.
Despite previously promoting the tour and releasing a new single with the group in early 2020, Robin alleged Nicole was refusing to “participate in the reunion tour” unless they came to a new agreement.
In response to the lawsuit, Nicole’s lawyer Howard King branded Robin’s claims “ludicrous and false”.
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, he said: “Robin will fail in her efforts to trade on Nicole’s hard-earned success to pull herself out of a deep financial hole she has created by her own poor business and professional decisions.”
“Prior to Nicole’s involvement, trading on Nicole’s name without her consent, Robin borrowed (and spent) $600,000 from Live Nation that she won’t or can’t repay,” he alleged.
“Nicole has invested her own funds in excess of $150,000 in support of a potential PCD reunion that has now been made impossible by Robin’s actions (including the public release of the group members’ confidential financial information).”
“Nicole loves and respects the PCD fans and hopes to one day be back on stage performing the group’s amazing hits for them. Sadly, this will not happen under these circumstances,” his statement concluded.
The Pussycat Dolls’ reunion tour was supposed to kick off in April 2020, but was postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Pussycat Dolls confirmed they were reuniting in November 2019, nine years after they disbanded.
The girl group kicked off their comeback by performing a medley of their greatest hits on The X Factor: Celebrity final, and releasing a new single called React in February 2020.
