Nicole Scherzinger: The Real Reason You Don't Hear From Her Anymore

Nicole Scherzinger had it all: a contagious public persona, a spot in the red-hot Pussycat Dolls girl group, roles in big movies, and a seemingly perfect opportunity to pursue a solo career. She could have gone the way of Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, or Camila Cabello and shot to the top as her own entity, but instead, this extremely talented artist all but disappeared. 

Why didn't it work out for Scherzy on the charts or on the big screen? Can she still stage a comeback, or is this Doll destined for reality TV scraps? 

Let's take a closer look at this hardworking, hard twerking, multi-faceted star. You may be surprised to learn that she's been reconnecting with her roots and hiding in plain site for years. Check it out.

From the looks of Scherzinger's Instagram page, she's gone full-blown Pilates master. In February 2018, the singer flaunted her toned physique, crafty flexibility, and commendable upper body strength while demonstrating a perfect upside-down split in Dubai. Clearly, the gal was excited. She captioned the snap: "My first #Pilates reformer and it's in #Dubai!"

Scherzinger's fitness program is diverse and intense. In an interview with Glamour, she revealed that she takes dancing very seriously. "It keeps me in shape, she said. "I'm like a drill sergeant — my choreographer is, too."

And when she's not gyrating in twerk class, she spends a lot of time in the gym doing cardio. "I do a 30- to 45-minute jog twice a week and a lot of circuit training in the gym," she told Glamour. Treadmill sprints, and crunches on an exercise ball, and weightlifting are also in the mix.

Bottom line: Be like Nicole.                                              

Scherzinger played the role of Moana's mother in 2016's Moana – a Polynesian-inspired film that took years to create. According to Scherzinger, the movie was special because it's a journey about self-discovery and "getting back to our roots," which really resonated with the former Doll. 

"I am of Hawaiian descent, so when I found out they were making a Polynesian-inspired Disney movie, I was like, 'I have to be a part of this!' " she told PopSugar. "I knocked down Disney's doors to let me audition and make sure I could be a part of this. It was awesome, and it worked out, and now I am Moana's mother in the film. And my name is Sina.

And now, we have to revisit Moana just to listen more closely to Scherzinger because that backstory is truly heartwarming news. BRB.

Nicole Scherzinger spent about eight years in an on-again-off-again relationship with Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton (left) from 2007 to 2015, but their relationship hit a lot of speed bumps along the way. Busy work schedules, long distance, Hamilton feeling pressured to get married, and even his alleged preference of cars over women supposedly derailed the romance.

When they finally called it quits for good, the "Right There" singer shouldered some of the blame. "I was always so focused on working so much, so I didn't have much time for relationships," she told Us Weekly. "...As you get older, you find more balance in life."

A self-proclaimed more mature Scherzinger is now happily attached to tennis player Grigor Dimitrov (right,) and Hamilton has been romantically linked to a few A-list ladies, including Rihanna and Kendall Jenner. "I only wish him happiness and success," Scherzinger told the mag.

Cue the Pussycat Dolls' hit "When I Grow Up."

Unlike other stars who broke away from their girl groups to forge successful solo careers — Beyoncé from Destiny's Child, Camila Cabello from Fifth Harmony, Diana Ross from the Supremes — Scherzinger didn't share such an amazing fate. 

After building momentum as a solo artist with her collaboration on Diddy's 2006 hit "Come to Me," Scherzinger released four singles, including the semi-popular tracks "Whatever U Like" and "Baby Love." However, all her releases failed to chart significantly. As a result, Scherzinger's debut album, Her Name is Nicole, which she announced in the spring of 2007, was shelved indefinitely. 

Scherzinger then shifted her focus to the Pussycat Dolls' second album, Doll Domination, which spawned the hit singles "When I Grow Up" and "I Hate This Part."

As for her solo career? She's had moderate music success overseas. Her debut album, Killer Love, charted in the United Kingdom, but her work Stateside has garnered little fanfare.

Music groups often go through conflicts that make working together extremely tough: money issues, bloated egos, competing goals — you name it. The Pussycat Dolls seemingly experienced similar problems because in 2010, the group announced a hiatus. Though the reason for the break looked murky at first, rumor has it that the dynamic fell apart due to rifts with Scherzinger. 

In her 2012 Behind the Music special, Scherzinger claims she was responsible for "95 percent" of the songs on the Dolls' debut album, PCD. That assertion reportedly didn't sit well with other four ladies in the group who, if you subscribe to Scherzinger's math, contributed about 1.25 percent a piece to the Doll's success. Ouch!

In October 2017, tensions were heightened yet again when Kaya Jones, a member of The Pussycat Dolls from 2003 to 2005, shared explosive tweets alleging that the group was more of a prostitution ring than a musical act. Though the Dolls' creator, Robin Antin, shot down those claims, it's fair to say that a reconciliation is far-fetched at this point.

Let's all pour one out for the Dolls.

Reality TV can be a great way for celebrities to maintain relevancy in an ever-changing industry, and by the looks of her track record, Scherzinger has taken full advantage of the opportunities that have come her way. 

She won the 10th season of Dancing with the Stars in 2010, and the following year, she signed on as a host for the hit show The X Factor, though she was fired from the series in 2012. She somehow returned to her post in 2016, working alongside entertainment icons Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh. 

In 2015, Scherzinger won the first season of I Can Do That, a show where celebrities compete against each other by performing bizarre acts that are outside of their comfort zones. That same year, she also signed on as a co-host on Neil Patrick Harris' comedy series Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris.

Even though she's been MIA from music, she's usually just a remote click away.

Despite her lack of success as a solo performer, Scherzinger has been a part of some rather iconic productions. She scored a small role in the 2012 blockbuster Men in Black III and starred in the 2015 musical Cats, which earned her a nomination for an Olivier Award for best actress in a supporting role. 

One of Scherzy's biggest roles, however, was as lead character Penny Rivera in the 2017 remake of the iconic 1987 film Dirty Dancing. Though her performance received praise, the film was panned by critics. The Hollywood Reporter said the remake had "no reason to exist." The Los Angeles Times said the movie "never finds its footing," and Rolling Stone even created a "Top 10 WTF Moments" post dedicated solely to the remake.

It's fair to say this film put Scherzinger's acting opportunities in a corner. Then again, the movie might be so bad that people forget it even happened.

Solo stars such as Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, and Mariah Carey have fruitfully expanded their brands beyond the music world into fashion and cosmetics, and Scherzinger seems to be following suit. 

In 2014, she partnered up with online fashion boutique Missguided to create a 30-piece collection for the retailer. That venture worked out; the partnership reportedly helped increase the brand's profit by 70 percent.

In September 2017, the "Don't Hold Your Breath" singer tried her hand at business again, launching her first fragrance, Chosen. She reportedly spent an entire year working on the product, telling Hello! that she wanted her perfume to "really embody me and my spirit" and to "empower women." As for the name?  "I really thought long and hard about it," she said. "Chosen, every woman wants to feel like they are chosen, they are the one, the only one," she said. The end result, she said, is an ode to her Hawaiian heritage: "harmony, love, and health."  

I'm not crying — you are.

It's no secret that celebrities often battle physical and mental health challenges, and those struggles often play out in the public eye. But in 2012, fans were shocked to learn that Scherzinger, who is known for her bubbly public persona, was battling serious inner demons. 

In a 2014 interview with Cosmopolitan (via People), the singer revealed that she struggled with bulimia for eight years, including during her time as a member of the Pussycat Dolls. Her condition made her feel isolated, ashamed, and internally conflicted. "It is such a horrible, paralyzing disease and it was such a dark time for me," she said.

"I just hated myself," she said in a VH1 Behind the Music episode (via The Sun). "I was in a group but I never felt so alone in my life ... I never did drugs ... My bulimia was my addiction; hurting myself was my addiction." She insists, "The music is what saved me. That's the only thing that I can trust."

Though her disorder has been cited as a reason for the disbandment of the Pussycat Dolls, the good news is that Scherzy has since kicked her illness and returned to healthier eating habits.

Everyone loves a good comeback story. Robert Downey, Jr. became Iron Man and a star of The Avengers franchise after terrible bouts of drug use. Britney Spears released her critically-acclaimed Glory album after several high-profile meltdowns. So, of course Nicole Scherzinger could make a big career comeback after a couple of hiccups, right?

Wrong, at least according to RCA Records, who dropped her in 2015, reportedly after experiencing poor sales for her second solo album, Big Fat Lie. According to The Washington Post, the pop starlet didn't have the support she needed for a successful release and fell victim to early leaks of her music.

Since her departure from the label, Scherzinger's most notable release has been 2016's "I Want You Back." Her rendition of the Motown classic is so well done that it leaves a glimmer of hope that she can someday regain her footing and release the stellar solo album of her dreams. Fingers crossed. We're rooting for her.