Following former Pussycat Dolls member Kaya Jones’s claims last week on Twitter that the group was a front for a “prostitution ring” and they were regularly subjected to abuse, the rest of the girl group has released a joint statement disputing her accusations. “We cannot stand behind false allegations towards other group members partaking in activities that simply did not take place,” they said. “To liken our professional roles in The Pussycat Dolls to a prostitution ring not only undermines everything we worked hard to achieve for all those years but also takes the spotlight off the millions of victims who are speaking up and being heard loud and clear around the world.” Other past members of the since-disbanded group include Nicole Scherzinger, Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, Melody Thornton, and Kimberly Wyatt. Their statement continues that, while the group can’t vouch for what Jones says she experienced, it “can firmly testify that we were not privy to any misconduct taking place around us.” The group also defended its founder Robin Antin, whom Jones alluded to being a “den mother,” saying that both she and the group support female empowerment; Antin previously denied the allegations.
In her tweets, Jones alleged that she and the other members were forced to have sex with people in order to remain in the group, and that such acts were later used as “leverage.” “Meaning after they turn you out or get you hooked on drugs they use it against you,” she wrote. Jones says she walked away from her million-dollar contract with the group because of her alleged mistreatment. In their statement, the Pussycat Dolls say that any accusation of abuse would be “taken very seriously and investigated.” They added, “We truly wish Kaya the best and hope she gets the help she deserves.”