Jessica Sutta Says Political Views May Have Cost Her Spot in Pussycat Dolls Reunion

Former Pussycat Dolls member Jessica Sutta says she believes her political views played a role in her exclusion from the group’s upcoming reunion tour, describing herself as “a liability” in the current climate.

Earlier this month, the group announced its return with a reduced lineup featuring Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, and Kimberly Wyatt. The trio is set to embark on a 53-date international tour spanning North America, the United Kingdom, and Europe, marking the latest revival of the pop act since its original breakup in 2010.

Sutta, who was part of the group during its peak commercial success in the mid-2000s, said she was not included in discussions about the reunion and only became aware of the plans indirectly. Speaking on The Maverick Approach podcast, she described the experience as unexpected and disappointing.

“I was blindsided,” she said, adding that she had been trying to get clarity about potential reunion plans for months without receiving a direct response.

Sutta attributed her absence, at least in part, to her public support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the current U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. She has previously endorsed Kennedy and participated in his 2024 presidential campaign, appearing at events and voicing support for his platform.

According to Sutta, her alignment with RFK Jr. and the broader political associations that come with it may have made her a difficult fit for the group’s current direction. “I was a liability,” she said, suggesting that her views had become a factor in how she was perceived within the context of a high-profile reunion.

Her comments come amid a broader shift in the group’s structure. The Pussycat Dolls originally featured six members, including Sutta, Carmit Bachar, and Melody Thornton, alongside Scherzinger, Roberts, and Wyatt. Since then, the lineup has changed multiple times, with Thornton declining to participate in a previous reunion and Bachar also absent from the current tour.

Bachar has similarly expressed disappointment about being left out of the latest iteration, noting in a public statement that she would have appreciated direct communication given her role in the group’s early development. She emphasized her continued pride in the group’s legacy while acknowledging the personal impact of the decision.

Sutta, meanwhile, pointed to her relationship with the group’s founder, Robin Antin, as a source of frustration. She said she had attempted to reach out for clarification ahead of the announcement but did not receive a clear response.

She also confirmed that Scherzinger contacted her on the day the reunion was made public, though Sutta said she chose not to return the call. Despite that, she spoke positively about Scherzinger’s career, including her recent success in musical theater, while suggesting that the situation reinforced her understanding of why she was not included.

The current members of the group have framed the decision as part of the Pussycat Dolls’ long-standing pattern of evolving lineups. In recent interviews, Wyatt described the trio as the configuration that feels “united” at this moment, while leaving open the possibility of future changes.

Sutta’s remarks highlight the complex dynamics that often accompany reunions of legacy pop groups, where personal relationships, public image, and external factors can all influence decisions about participation.

While she expressed disappointment about missing the opportunity to rejoin the group on tour, Sutta indicated that she stands by her views and the positions she has taken publicly, even if they have had professional consequences.

The reunion tour is scheduled to begin in California in June, with the group releasing new music ahead of the launch.