Nicole Scherzinger Shuts Down Pussycat Dolls Founder Robin Antin's Extortion Lawsuit, Calls Claims 'Ludicrous And False'
Sept. 7 2021, Published 2:57 p.m. ET
Nicole Scherzinger is firing back at the extortion lawsuit recently filed by Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin.
As RadarOnline.com was first to report, Antin recently sued Scherzinger for allegedly refusing to participate in the girl group's reunion tour and trying to extort her for money.
But the 43-year-old once-frontwoman of the popular ensemble called the 60-year-old choreographer's claims "ludicrous and false" in a statement obtained by People.
Via her attorney, Howard King, Scherzinger said that Antin's allegations "are a desperate attempt to divert blame for her own failures by trying to impose obligations on Nicole that simply do not exist."
According to the claim filed by Antin in Los Angeles Superior Court last Thursday, Robin says that Nicole breached a 2019 contract wherein the singer allegedly agreed to relaunch the Pussycat Dolls and embark on a reunion tour.
The lawsuit names company Pussycat Dolls, Inc. as the sole owner of the music recorded by Nicole's former band.
The suit says Antin and PCD Inc. were given a promissory note for $600,000 from Live Nation, "in reliance that Scherzinger" would be performing in said reunion tour.
Nicole apparently agreed to perform 45 shows and receive 49 percent of the profits. Robin claimed she spent a considerable amount of time and money on the tour, saying Nicole even promoted it on social media.
The show – whose dates were announced last July – was originally scheduled to take place in Europe from May 2021 to June 2021. It was rescheduled due to the pandemic.
Antin claims Scherzinger has since asked to rework her contract and that she backed out of the agreed-upon deal when she did not get her way.
Robin says that earlier this year, Nicole decided to demand 75 percent of the show's revenue in addition to "complete creative control" and "final decision-making authority."
When Antin refused to agree to the proposed terms, Scherzinger allegedly backed out of the tour completely and told Robin that she would not move forward with the project unless her new demands were met.
Robin claims that because of Nicole's "extortion," Live Nation has demanded the return of the six-figure sum.
But Howard King says his client is not responsible for that money.
"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," he said in his statement.
"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," King claimed. "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)."
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His statement concluded, "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."
Antin founded the Pussycat Dolls in 1995. By 2003, it had transformed into the popular girl group featuring Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, Kimberly Wyatt, Carmit Bachar, and Melody Thornton.
In 2009, the group disbanded, and Nicole went solo.
