Kaya Jones, a former member of the mega girl group Pussycat Dolls, has revealed that the group was a front for a prostitution ring. The shocking allegations came hot on the heels of last week’s brutal takedown of Harvey Weinstein over a legion of women coming forward with charges of sexual allegations.
The girl group was only a front
According to E! Online Saturday, Jones is claiming that while the Pussycat Dolls were a group of talented young ladies who knew how to sing and dance, that is not all they were required to do.
Kaya Jones said they had what she called a “den mother” who made sure the girls did everything ordered. She didn’t reveal how far up the chain of command it was known what was happening to them, but she said she and her bandmates were pimped out. They were given drugs and alcohol to lower their inhibitions. Then they were ordered to sleep with people who paid the higher-ups for the privilege of bedding the group members.
Jones’ statements are especially disturbing considering that during the group’s heyday beginning in 2003, the members ranged from 19 to 25 years of age. She said that the girls had no choice if they wanted to remain in the Pussycat Dolls.
They were young and excited about making records and being famous, but the reality turned out to be far more than they expected. Jones said they were heavily pressured to be team players, ordered not to make waves, and to “sleep with whoever they say.”
Sexual assault might be a show businesses epidemic
The Weinstein case seems to be just the tip of the iceberg. More than 30 women have come out saying that they were either sexually violated by him or have had to fight him off at some point in their careers. Now with this news breaking from Jones, a truly frightening picture of show business is emerging that gives credence to the old stories of the casting couch. When such rumors persist over the decades, it usually turns out that where there is smoke, there is fire.
The Pussycat Dolls, like many musical acts, changed faces over time. None of the other members who shared the stage with Kaya Jones have made any comment regarding her revelations. In answer to the question of why the victims wait so long to tell, Jones’ blunt reply is “I personally have been warned if I tell I will…you know end up dead or no more career.” It remains to be seen if the other girls, or their managers at the time, will corroborate Jones’ statement. But if the allegations are true, it is tragic that these young women who were such icons for girls across the world had to leave the stage, after all the applause, only to face the degradation and violation of being sold into prostitution.