The Pussycat Dolls are a singing group that does not sell its bodies for sex.
This is a message the group would like to send, in light of a former member claiming the contrary.
A few days ago, a singer named Kaya Jones made scathing accusations on Twitter, alleging that she and her fellow artists were basically forced to sleep with record executives back when she was a part of the Dolls.
“How bad was it? People ask – bad enough that I walked away from my dreams, my bandmates & a 13 million dollar record deal,” Jones Tweeted.
She went on to say that Simone Battle, a member of spinoff group G.R.L., killed herself in 2014 due to her experiences in the industry.
“I want the den mother from hell to confess why another 1 of her girl group girls committed suicide? Tell the public how you mentally broke us.”
The person to whom Jones is referring here is Robin Antin, the founder of The Pussycat Dolls.
She responded to Jones’ allegations by labeling them as “disgusting lies.”
She also said Jones was never an official group member; she was only ever on a trial basis.
Now, The Pussycat Dolls as a whole have spoken out.
The all-girls group has released a lengthy statement in which it strongly denies all Jones has said about what it’s like to be a member.
“The Pussycat Dolls has always and will always stand for female empowerment and sisterhood,” the group says, adding:
“We stand in solidarity with all women who have bravely spoken publicly of their horrific experiences of abuse, harassment and exploitation.
“However, we cannot stand behind false allegations towards other group members partaking in activities that simply did not take place.”
The Pussycat Dolls were founded by Antin in 1995.
You may remember the band for such tracks as “Don’t Cha”, “Buttons” and “Stickwitu.”
They spawned a few spinoff groups and even a Las Vegas revue.
Reads more of their statement:
To liken our professional roles in The Pussycat Dolls to a prostitution ring not only undermines everything we worked hard to achieve for all those years but also takes the spotlight off the millions of victims who are speaking up and being heard loud and clear around the world.
While we were not aware of Kaya’s experiences that allegedly took place during her short time working with us, before the group signed a recording contract, we can firmly testify that we were not privy to any misconduct taking place around us.
If Kaya experienced something we are unaware of then we fully encourage her to get the help she needs and are here to support her.
Finally, in conclusion, The Nicole Scherzinger-led group says the following:
Since its inception, The Pussycat Dolls and founder Robin Antin have supported and empowered women from all walks of life to flourish in their careers.
Should any member or associate allude to any form of abuse or harassment whatsoever, it will be taken very seriously and investigated.
We truly wish Kaya the best and hope she gets the help she deserves.