LONDON - Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger has rejected claims that she went back on a deal to perform in a reunion tour, branding them “ludicrous and false”. The singer is being sued by the band’s choreographer and founder Robin Antin for allegedly reneging on a previously-announced tour, it emerged this week. But Scherzinger’s lawyer has now said any such obligations “simply do not exist”. Howard King called the legal case “a desperate attempt to divert blame”. “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,” Mr King said in a statement given to the BBC. “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.” According to legal papers filed by Antin, Scherzinger asked to renegotiate the reunion agreement to give her creative control and a larger share in the group’s new business venture. What was the plan for the reunion tour? In November 2019, a decade after the Pussycat Dolls split, the group announced they would reform for a live tour. Five of the six Dolls would reunite - with Scherzinger joined by Ashley Roberts, Carmit Bachar, Kimberly Wyatt and Jessica Sutta to perform hits like Buttonz, Don’t Cha and Jai Ho at a series of live UK shows.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday at Los Angeles Superior Court, includes a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), a short-form agreement drawn up and signed in advance of the tour’s announcement.
The MoU shows that Roberts, Wyatt and Sutta would each receive 12.5% of net profits from the tour.
Antin, who is described as the “chief executive officer, director and sole owner of PCD” would also receive 12.5%.
Bachar, who left the group in 2008 before their second album was released but was set to return for the reunion, would receive 5% of the takings.
As the lead singer and face of the recording group, Scherzinger stood to make the most, with a 32.5% share.
However, the Covid-19 pandemic struck before the tour could take place, and the band announced they would reschedule the live dates in the future, when it was safe to do so.