Kelly Rowland's Rep Defends Singer After 'Today' Show Dressing Room Debacle
Kelly Rowland's representative is coming out swinging, defending the singer's character after she "stormed off' the Today show and left Hoda Kotb scrambling for a last-minute guest host. RadarOnline.com told you that sources claimed Rowland left the show in a huff because she and her team weren't happy with her dressing room, so she ditched her co-hosting duties, forcing Rita Ora, a guest on the show, to fill in during the eleventh hour.
Now, Rowland's rep is speaking out.
“After 28 years of knowing her, Kelly Rowland remains one of the kindest, most amiable humans I have ever met and have had the blessing to represent,” Yvette Noel-Schure told Entertainment Tonight in a statement on Tuesday.
While she defended the Dilemma singer as a person, Noel-Schure did not directly address the elephant in the room. Rumor has it that Rowland pulled out of her guest hosting responsibilities only seven minutes before showtime, leaving Kotb and the show's production team in a panic.
The star was there to promote her movie Mea Culpa but was asked to stay and fill in for Jenna Bush Hager, who had the day off.
Insiders told Page Six that the ex-Destiny's Child star, 43, and her team "were not happy" about her dressing room, adding that she ditched her obligations after being told she couldn't move into the green room upstairs because it was already occupied by Jennifer Lopez.
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"They did not like the dressing room, so they decided to pull her off the show, leaving [Kotb] without a guest host for the 10 a.m. hour,” an insider familiar with the situation said last week.
Rowland's abrupt exit left producers and Kotb confused.
“She’s beloved at ‘Today.’ She was getting the full hour, and Hoda’s the biggest hype woman on the planet! It made no sense,” the source said. Rowland allegedly played "musical dressing rooms" because she "didn’t like the one she was in.”
The Today producers reportedly offered Rowland several options, including other dressing rooms, but "they didn’t want that."
Kotb later addressed the issue, making light of the situation and showing there were no hard feelings.
“I just want to say this: I have great love and admiration for Kelly Rowland. I adore her, and I want her to come back on our show, and I want her to host again,” she said.
Kotb also joked, "She can share my dressing room. We’ll be in it together!”