Pussycat Dolls Founder Robin Antin Has Sued Nicole Scherzinger

September 7, 2021 / Posted by:

The girl group the Pussycat Dolls were formed in 2003 by PCD founder, Robin Antin, and they put out several hits (including Don’t Cha, Buttons, and When I Grow Up) before going on hiatus in 2010. In 2019, PCD reunited for a new single called React, and they were supposed to go on a mini-tour. Original members Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, Carmit Bachar, Jessica Sutta, and Kimberly Wyatt were all involved with the reunion. But former original member, Melody Thornton, was not. Of course, Coronavirus happened so the Pussycat Dolls reunion was put on pause, but now it looks like those plans will never start up again. Because Robin Antin has sued Nicole Scherzinger, the group’s lead, for refusing to go on tour and trying to “extort” Robin for creative and financial control of the group. It’s a PUSSYcatfight that’s almost as messy as those allegations that the Pussycat Dolls were actually a prostitution ring.

E! News says that Robin and Nicole came to an agreement about a reunion tour with the Pussycat Dolls back in 2019. In what was called the “Memorandum of Understanding,” Nicole was going to get nearly half of PCD’s profits in exchange for performing in live shows:

In the lawsuit obtained by E! News, Antin says she spent two years negotiating with Scherzinger over the relaunch and, in 2017, received $600,000 from Live Nation that hinged on Scherzinger agreeing to perform in the reunion tour.

According to the suit, the pair came to an agreement, dubbed the Memorandum of Understanding, in February 2019 that Scherzinger would be an “active partner” and perform in a reunion tour, including up to 45 live performances expected to start in December 2019. The breakout star would receive 49 percent of the shares and profits of a new Pussycat Dolls business, PCD Worldwide, according to the lawsuit. Antin would get the other 51 percent…

In April 2021, Scherzinger offered new terms of the agreement, requesting to become the owner of 75 percent of PCD Worldwide, get “complete creative control” and become the “final decision-making authority,” per the complaint.

The Masked Singer getting big during lockdown must have gone to Nicole’s head because she cited “the growth of her personal brand and the opportunities she would have to forego” when asking Robin for new terms. But Robin claims that Nicole was “already contractually obligated to be an “active partner” under the terms of the MOU.” In May, Nicole “expressly stated” she would ditch the reunion tour and had “refused to participate.”

Promoters, agents, merchandising companies, and basically everyone else involved were pissed, and Live Nation even asked for its $600,000 back. So Robin has sued for damages, including all profits lost as a result of Nicole not performing, as well as compensatory and punitive damages, and equitable relief due to Nicole’s alleged breach and tortious conduct. And Robin wants a trial by jury.

People spoke to Nicole’s attorney, Howard King, who basically painted Nicole as a lover of the PCD-fanbase and Robin as a bad businessperson:

The attorney called Antin’s claims “ludicrous and false,” and alleged they “are a desperate attempt to divert blame for her own failures by trying to impose obligations on Nicole that simply do not exist… 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. 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.”

What’s surprising is that Robin hasn’t just replaced Nicole. I mean, Melody Thornton is right there! And Melody has already successfully auditioned for the lead when she snatched the spotlight from a pissed-off Nicole in this classic moment from 2006:

Justice for Melody!

Pic: DJDM/WENN.com

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