Nicole Scherzinger has mixed emotions about the Pussycat Dolls being forced to cancel all but one date on the U.S. leg of their PCD Forever Tour.
“Nicole is disappointed,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “She was really excited to get back out there with Ashley [Roberts] and Kimberly [Wyatt] to celebrate a new era, but now she feels they didn’t get a chance to showcase what they can do.”
The insider acknowledges that the recently reunited girl group had been “too ambitious” in planning their first tour since 2009’s Doll Domination, resulting in low ticket sales.
“They went from not touring for over 15 years to booking big arenas like Madison Square Garden with only one new song to back it,” the source points out, referencing the Pussycat Dolls’ comeback single, “Club Song,” which they released in March but have yet to perform. “They overestimated the demand.”
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Scherzinger’s disappointment has not gotten in the way of rehearsals for the only remaining American show at the OutLoud Music Festival in West Hollywood on June 6. The frontwoman, 47, posted a video via Instagram on Tuesday, May 12, of herself, Roberts, 44, and Wyatt, also 44, running through choreography for the Pride Week performance before they launch their international tour in September.
“Nicole is trying to look on the bright side because the Dolls are still proceeding with their European dates, which she’s beyond excited about, but it’s hard not to feel defeated,” the insider tells Us. “She’s been through this before. Her solo album Her Name Is Nicole was shelved [in 2007], the Dolls also had to cancel their last reunion tour [in 2020] and she has a ton of other music that she never got to put out. It’s been a tough road for Nicole despite her other successes, but she’s grateful for the continuous love from across the pond.”
While the Pussycat Dolls have called off 32 shows, they believe fan videos from the remaining 21 dates could drum up interest for a second chance in America.
“Nicole is hopeful the Dolls can figure out something else in the U.S. after people see the show they’re putting together for Europe, which is going to be very special,” the insider teases.
Us Weekly has reached out to Scherzinger’s rep for comment.
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The Pussycat Dolls — who rose to fame in the mid-aughts with hits including “Don’t Cha,” “Buttons” and “When I Grow Up” — announced in March that they were reuniting and going on tour. However, earlier this month, they released a statement announcing their “difficult and heartbreaking” decision to scrap concerts in the U.S. and Canada after “taking an honest look” at sales.
The girl group’s reunion has been mired in controversy from the start. After Scherzinger, Roberts and Wyatt revealed they were getting back together as a trio, former Dolls Carmit Bachar and Jessica Sutta publicly called them out for not including all five members.
“I was not contacted regarding the group’s decision to move forward, and I learned of these plans at the same time as the public,” Bachar, 51, claimed via Instagram. “Given my history with the brand, having been part of its foundation long before its commercial debut and instrumental in the connections that led to the record deal… I would have appreciated direct communication.”
Meanwhile, Sutta, 43, described herself as a “liability” on the “Maverick Approach” podcast because she is a friend and vocal supporter of President Donald Trump‘s health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“I align with Bobby Kennedy, which is aligning with MAGA,” Sutta added.
