LOS ANGELES: Former Pussycat Dolls member Kaya Jones has claimed that the group was like a "prostitution ring".
Taking to Twitter over the past week, the 33-year-old singer has responded to the Harvey Weinstein scandal by detailing what it was like for her growing up in the industry and the abusive behaviour she faced, reported E! online.
"My truth. I wasn't in a girl group. I was in a prostitution ring. Oh and we happened to sing and be famous.
While everyone who owned us made the dollars," she began by writing to her fans.
"How bad was it? People ask—bad enough that I walked away from my dreams, my bandmates and a 13 million dollar record deal. We knew we were going to be #1." Without taking names, Jones also called out the "den mother" of the group, writing, "I want the den mother from hell to confess why another one of her girl group girls committed suicide? Tell the public how you mentally broke us." Social media users alleged that Jones was talking about G R L singer Simone Battle, who committed suicide in September of 2014. There has been no confirmation that Jones was speaking about Battle.
"To be a part of the team you must be a team player.
Meaning sleep with whoever they say. If you don't they have nothing on you to leverage. Yes, I said leverage. Meaning after they turn you out or get you hooked on drugs they use it against you. Correct. Victimising the victim again," Jones wrote.
"... Why don't we report it? Because we were all abused! I personally have been warned if I tell I will... you know end up dead or no more career," she added.
Neither a representative for the Pussycat Dolls nor Nicole Scherzinger have commented on Jones' tweets.
Jones auditioned and was selected to the Pussycat Dolls in 2003. She quit the group in 2005, claiming that it was no longer fun to be in the band.