Pussycat Dolls Singer Defends Political Stance After Tour Exclusion

Former Pussycat Dolls member Jessica Sutta has stood by her political views after being excluded from the girl group’s highly anticipated reunion tour, claiming her support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made her a “liability” to the project. The 43-year-old singer was notably absent from the PCD Forever Tour announcement in March, which featured only three original members — Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberly Wyatt and Ashley Roberts — whilst Sutta, Carmit Bachar and Melody Thornton were excluded entirely. Speaking on “The Maverick Approach” podcast on 22 March, Sutta disclosed she had been caught off guard by the reunion and alleged that her association with Kennedy’s 2024 presidential campaign, coupled with her public health advocacy following her own health challenges, had effectively sidelined her from the comeback.

The Reunion That Excluded Members Behind

The Pussycat Dolls’ announcement of their PCD Forever Tour in March came as a shock to a number of original members who were clearly excluded from the lineup. Sutta revealed that neither she, Bachar nor Thornton got advance notice of the reunion, learning about it instead via rumours and press coverage. She claimed she attempted several times to reach out to founder Robin Antin before the news broke publicly, only succeeding in reach the choreographer on the night the tour was announced. “None of us were called. None of us were told about anything,” Sutta explained. “In fact, we were caught off guard.”/p

The exclusion proved particularly painful for Sutta due to her deep attachment to the group’s legacy. When Scherzinger rang the next day after the official announcement, Sutta was too hurt to answer the phone. While acknowledging genuine admiration for Scherzinger’s latest Tony Award win for her role in “Sunset Boulevard,” Sutta felt the manner of her exclusion exposed something troubling about the group’s priorities. “The way they did this just showed me exactly why I’m not in the group,” she said, suggesting that the manner of the reunion reflected deeper issues in the band’s dynamics and decision-making process.

• Sutta, Bachar and Thornton excluded from PCD Forever Tour
• Three members selected: Scherzinger, Wyatt and Roberts only
• No prior notice communicated to excluded original members
• Sutta described reunion as a “cash grab” initiative

Political Beliefs and Professional Consequences

Sutta has become increasingly vocal about her backing of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., particularly during his 2024 presidential campaign. She went to campaign rallies, posted regularly on social media and delivered speeches at events, publicly aligning herself with Kennedy’s platform. However, she thinks this political stance could have played a role in her exclusion from the reunion tour. In her podcast appearance, Sutta suggested that her connection to Kennedy—and by extension, the broader political movement he represents—made her problematic for the group. “I align with Bobby Kennedy, which is aligning with MAGA,” she acknowledged, though she clarified her support was based on particular policies rather than blanket endorsement of any political party.

The singer characterised the reunion as fundamentally a commercial venture, indicating that financial interests overrode any commitment to inclusion or recognising all founding members. “It’s a cash grab. I mean, come on. Let’s keep it real, right?” Sutta said bluntly. She expressed frustration that her political views appeared to have been deemed at odds with the group’s public image or commercial interests. Notwithstanding her disagreements with certain aspects of modern politics, Sutta insisted that her main reason for backing Kennedy arose from advocacy for those affected by vaccine-related health issues—a cause profoundly personal to her own medical journey.

Healthcare Advocacy as Political Force

Sutta’s public advocacy is fundamentally tied to her personal health struggles. In the past few years, she has been open about managing significant long-term health concerns that she attributes to a COVID-19 vaccine received in 2021. She has also disclosed that she is dealing with a neurological condition, difficulties that have deeply influenced her perspective and campaigning focus. These health experiences motivated her to participate in communities focused on vaccine safety and personal health freedom, ultimately drawing her towards Kennedy’s campaign, which highlighted these priorities.

For Sutta, backing Kennedy offered a practical opportunity to elevate the voices of those in the community of vaccine-injured individuals who she felt had been overlooked by dominant public conversation. “We didn’t have a chance for the vaccine-injured community to obtain assistance without him,” she declared, underlining that her political alignment was driven by individual need rather than party politics. This health activism has become integral to her public profile, yet it seems to have fostered professional distance between herself and former bandmates who may have wanted to steer clear of association with such contentious health controversies.

Taking Strong Stands on Divisive Matters

Despite the career consequences from her political stance, Sutta has demonstrated no inclination to backing down from her convictions. She remains unwavering in her support for Kennedy and the causes he championed during his 2024 campaign for president, attending rallies, regularly sharing content on social media and speaking publicly about vaccine safety concerns. Rather than distancing herself from these positions to salvage her career prospects, Sutta has continued to advocate openly for what she believes in, even as it appears to have resulted in losing a highly profitable reunion chance to work with one of her ex-group’s most significant projects.

Sutta’s unwillingness to adjust her stance reflects a broader tension in modern entertainment industry, where artists’ personal beliefs more frequently overlap with commercial viability. She has recognised the likely industry backlash of her activism, yet demonstrates resolve to place her values first over commercial approval. Her frank admission that association with Kennedy’s views may be interpreted as backing “MAGA” politics demonstrates her awareness of how her approach is perceived, whilst simultaneously refusing to make apologies regarding or markedly modify her public advocacy on matters concerning health that she views as personally important.

• Sutta participated in multiple Kennedy campaign events throughout 2024’s presidential election
• She has maintained an active online platform promoting vaccine safety awareness
• The artist keeps discussing openly about her personal health challenges publicly
• Sutta recognises her views could be seen as politically controversial
• She places emphasis on health-related advocacy over possible career reconciliation prospects

A Career Beyond the Group

Whilst the reunion tour exclusion represents a significant professional setback, Sutta has preserved a dynamic career trajectory separate from the Pussycat Dolls throughout the past two decades. The singer has pursued solo projects, broadcast engagements and ongoing performance commitments that have enabled her to maintain her presence in the entertainment industry. Her work as a entertainer and public presence has stretched far past the girl group that initially brought her fame, demonstrating her skill in creating a distinct professional identity apart from the group responsible for her fame.

Looking ahead, Sutta appears set to continue her activist initiatives and artistic endeavours regardless of the reunion tour’s outcome. Her willingness to speak openly about her principles, whilst certainly costly in terms of band reunion, has also established her as an vocal advocate on health and social matters within entertainment circles. Whether through songwriting, campaigning or speaking engagements, Sutta seems resolved to maintain her self-determination and explore possibilities aligned with her principles rather than sacrifice her principles for the sake of commercial reunion.