Nicole Scherzinger Calls Herself 'Quarterback' Of Pussycat Dolls Amid Lawsuit Scandal

Lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls, Nicole Scherzinger, has a thing or two to get off her mind, and we can't wait for you to hear all of it!

The pop legend reminisces on her time with one of the most significant pop girl groups of all time, and she has a whole lot to unpack. The sensational girl group dominated the industry from 2003-2010. They reunited about ten years later to release a hit single and finally closed the curtains in 2021.

The 45-year-old singer and songwriter revealed that she was proud that she was the voice behind most of the group's musical projects. In her words:

"I always used to be made to feel like . . . I don’t know, not ashamed, but . . . I’m very proud that the albums are my music. I put the work in after all these years, and that's OK that I have the credit because everybody has their own strengths. And this is what I bring to the table."

According to her, the tracks broke #1 pop records worldwide, and she has nothing but love for her former group mates, reiterating that she "only wishes them the best." The Pussycat Dolls began as a burlesque act before choreographer Robin Antin broke a record deal and brought in Scherzinger as the lead singer.

She was then joined by dancers Kimberly Wyatt, Melody Thornton, Ashley Roberts, Carmit Bachar, and Jessica Sutta. Scherzinger became a household name in 2005 following the group's debut single titled "Don't Cha."

They then released two hit albums, "PCD" and "Doll Domination," and they also had eight Top 40 singles, including "Beep" and "Buttons." Scherzinger didn't hold back encomiums on the girl group as she said to PEOPLE:

"Our group was never set up like the Spice Girls. Our group was set up where I would be the quarterback, and I would lead us. The girls are extremely strong, talented dancers, and I had to work hard to be able to stand next to them."

The group got back together briefly in 2020 and dropped smash hit "React" with plans to go on tour, but was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The time was eventually scrapped due to a lawsuit between Scherzinger and Antin. Scherzinger has since featured as a judge in several reality competition shows like "X Factor" and "The Masked Singer."

In July, The Blast shared that the actress won't invite former groupmates to her wedding with former rugby player Thom Evans. Sources disclosed that the five ladies didn't make the guest list as "Nicole doesn't want to invite one and not another."

The source continued that the singer does not want to bring any toxicity from unresolved issues to her big day. Despite their brief reconciliation, there's still so much bad blood between them. Nicole reportedly feels "unfairly painted as the villain just because she was the better singer of the group."

Scherzinger's beef with the group isn't limited to the ladies, as Antin also got a fair share of her displeasure but in lawsuits. Per The Blast, the dancer sued the defunct group's founder for damages in 2022 after Antin initially sued her for extortion following the tour cancellation.

Scherzinger claimed Antin misappropriated the reunion tour funds and slapped a contract breach allegation. She also added that the allegation made by Antin against her was wrong, and instead, he disbursed the tour funds to insignificant parties. She continued in her suit:

"Antin's waste included paying another entertainer, Pia Mia, more than $100,000 to be PCD's lead singer and buying her an expensive gift. Ms. Mia did not last with PCD and provided no benefit to the project. When Antin realized that a PCD with Ms. Mia would not be successful, Antin again approached Scherzinger."

The "I Hate This Part" singer also claimed that she spent over $163k of her funds to finance the group's expenses without reimbursement plans. Other allegations include Antin using her anime to secure commercial benefits without permission from her and not giving her touring advance like the rest of the group.

Scherzinger demanded $1.1 million in damages, adding that she forfeited other gigs running into the same amount to join the tour.