Remember Natalie Mejia? Nope, neither do we, but apparently she got busted for cocaine, and pleaded not guilty. E! Online reports that the Girlicious singer pleaded guilty Thursday to felony possession of cocaine with the intent to sell in connection with her arrest on March 9. Police allegedly found a dozen baggies of cocaine when they went through her Gucci purse during a routine traffic stop.

Mejia’s claim to fame was her role on the CW show Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious, where her pop trio emerged. The 21-year-old singer was a passenger in the car – Peter Ascensio, who was also arrested, was the driver. As always, Mejia says that she does not know how the drugs got into her bag.

April 26 is the court date that will determine whether there’s enough evidence against Mejia to be taken to trial.

Mejia, whose pop trio took shape on the CW show Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious, was a passenger in the car—the driver, Peter Ascensio, was also arrested—and maintains that she does not know how the drugs got in her bag.

She might be safe however, because police said that last month Ascencio made “some statement” indicating that the drugs were his, but it was up to the district attorney to press charges.

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Are the Pussycat Dolls done for good? Did anyone know that they were actually still together?

Newest reports state that the all-girl pop act have broken up after there was beef between solo star Nicole Scherzinger and the rest of the girls in the group. According to the New York Post, the front woman is no longer on speaking terms with the rest of the group, and they have had it with her hogging all the limelight.

The paper also said that a source told them that “it is war” between the two sides. “They have broken up for good. None of the other girls are speaking to Nicole, who they believe took the limelight, then went off to do her own thing.”

Her own thing is the attempted solo career that Scherzinger began last year, scoring hits such as “Baby Love,” but returned to the Pussycat Dolls when she failed to make it any bigger. She performed with the all-girl group in Auckland, New Zealand with the pop-sensation Lady Gaga in May.

According to stuff.co.na, the label that supports the Dolls, Interscope, merely issued a statement saying that the girls were “on a break.”

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When The Pussycat Dolls shot to worldwide fame after they released their dance hit “Don’t Cha,” perhaps above and beyond the other group members, critics and fans adored Queen Doll Nicole Scherzinger.

Now, four years later, it seems that the group’s lead vocalist receives more negative criticism than support. On sites like YouTube and other message board forums, countless of “fans” accuse Nicole of constantly providing lead vocals while other vocally talented members, most notably Melody Thornton, rarely, if ever, sing. 

But why does that still surprise people?

When the group originally signed their record deal, Nicole was specifically given the role of lead singer. At no point were Thornton, Jessica Sutta, Ashley Roberts, Kimberly Wyatt or ex-member Carmit Bachar given equal status in the group.

So yes, while the name Nicole and The Pussycat Dolls may be more suitable, I have yet to hear the other Dolls complain that they are just merely background dancers to Nicole.

And let’s face it, neither of the other members have any reason to complain. They knew what their role would be right from the gecko. On numerous occasions and in several interviews, founder Robin Antin emphasized that she wanted The Pussycat Dolls to comprise of a leader singer and backup members.

No shock there whatsoever.

Yet, Nicole continuously gets lashed for fulfilling her role—a job that I do not think the other members could live up to.

Melody has an outstanding voice but it is not as strong or versatile as Nicole’s. Nicole’s vocals are more seductive—a key ingredient that makes the PCD so successful. However, should Nicole ever want to quit the group, Melody is the only other member that has the potential to succeed as the lead vocalist.

When it comes to physical appearance, Jessica, perhaps, is even more naturally beautiful than Nicole. However she is not nearly as secure as her and the natural confidence Nicole exudes cannot be taught.
Ashley and Kimberly are, in my view, the group’s best dancers. But that’s just it. Both ladies are dancers above singers. Thus, they do not have the entire package to bring the same commercial success to the group if either provided the lead vocals.

And while I will admit that the other group members are the reason why The Pussycat Dolls are still loved by fans, Nicole is the reason why the group is still topping music charts. Unlike the other members, Nicole penned some of the group’s best hits.

Without her, the group would have a difficult time surviving.

But I will also admit that even Nicole has her own flaws.

I am still puzzled on how it’s possible for Nicole to butcher and mispronounce the words to “Jai Ho.” When A. R. Rahman correctly sings the words in the remix only to have Nicole belt “Jay Ho” right after, pains me.

Who taught her how to read?

But like I said.

Even Nicole has flaws.

But I still love her.

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Next month’s WrestleMania event is set to feature a one-two punch of music entertainment from Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger and Kid Rock.

According to People, Scherzinger will open the pay-per-view event with “America the Beautiful,” a tradition that has been carried out by the likes of Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Ashanti and John Legend in the past.

Kid Rock will later take the stage for a medley of his greatest hits, including “Cowboy” and “Bawitdaba.”

A WWE representative confirmed last week that “The Wrestler” star Mickey Rourke would also be making an appearance at the event, though the extent of his involvement is not yet known. The actor had expressed his interest in participating in the annual wrestling showdown earlier this year but later backed out, citing work commitments.

Wrestlemania XXV will air live from the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on April 5.

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When it comes to life in Hollywood, it’s almost impossible to escape the spotlight. From breakups to hook-ups, to career breakthrough and downfalls—we know all about it.

And while some stars deserve the attention and fame—we can’t quite figure out why others get it.  From the train wrecks to those that manage to lead somewhat normal lives, here’s a list of the top five under/over rated celebrities.

UNDERRATED:

5) Pussycat Dolls:  While these dolls are better known for their minimal outfits or their “people can bend that way?” dance moves, they rarely get credit for their music.

Their most recent album ‘Doll Domination’ is actually really good (except for their hit single “When I Grow Up”). When you compare these gals to their less talented yet skankier music rivals (hint: Girlicious), these ladies deserve some true recognition for their work.

4) Natalie Portman: Besides her ridiculously stunning girl-next-door looks, Portman is one of the most undervalued actresses in Hollywood. We never hear about her personal life and, as far as we know, she’s one of the remaining few to never enter rehab. She blew us away with her acting chops in movies like The Other Boleyn Girl, V for Vendetta and Star Wars, proving she is more than just a pretty face.

3) Ellen Page:  She’s only 22 and already she has a career people twice her age envy. She’s charming and witty and her character in Juno makes us wish we had her as a best friend. Best of all? She’s Canadian. How cool is that, eh?

2) Edward Norton: Hands down, ‘American History X’ is probably one of the best movies about neo-Nazis ever (minus a certain graphic scene in the prison shower). Either way, Norton has more talent in his pinky than some men have in their entire heads (not that one. Get your mind out of the gutter).

1) John Cusack: From his peculiar performance in War Inc to his eerie role in 1408 (which made me forever swear off hotel rooms with the same number), Cucask proves he’s more than a talented actor and, if you’ve seen him in any interview conferences, you’ll see he’s a complex man in real life. And while Hollywood does appreciate this man somewhat, they have yet to discover his true brilliance—and probably never will.

 OVERRATED:

5) Tyra Banks: For a woman who uses the word “fierce” to describe models more times than we say “scripted” to describe ‘The Hills’, she really knows how to make a word overused. Even though I once adored Banks—I no longer can stand her. Her annoying, one-word-per-minute “Lets…find…out…who’s…going…home…and…who…has…another…chance…at…becoming…America’s…Next…Top….(Useless)….Model” speech makes my ears bleed. Kudos to her successful career and awful talk show but woman, please quit trying to be so…fierce!

4) Megan Fox: She’s stunning—I’ll give her that. But yeah, that’s about it. Have you ever seen/read an interview with her? She makes Hugh Hefner’s Bunnies all look like Einstein. Now that’s not something you want on your résumé.

3) John Mayer: Sure he wooed us with “Your Body is A Wonderland” but it kinda stopped right there. This fame-whore is irritable and down right pathetic. Somehow Jennifer Aniston finds/found him attractive. I just don’t see it.

2) Jonas Brothers: Remember B4-4? Yeah I don’t. If their fame expired, why are these boys still around? Their songs aren’t catchy and the eldest reminds me of a creepy old man who somehow thinks it’s cool to pretend he’s still sixteen. Blah.

1) Miley Cyrus: Russell Brand said it best in an interview with MTV. Upon hearing that Cyrus released her memoir “Miles to Go”, he said the following:  “She’s only been alive half an hour. What’s she going to say: ‘The womb was warm’?”  Damn straight. At her age, no matter all the “hardships” she may have gone through, she doesn’t have enough valuable life experiences to really pen a book. Maybe she should grow up first.  But then again, this is the girl who claims she will “ruin” Radiohead for giving her the cold shoulder at the Grammys. This child needs to get spanked. And not by her boyfriend.

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Opening up for the legendary Britney Spears is a big task for anyone or any group to handle, especially taking on the responsibility for the circus tour, which is set to be pure magic for both Britney’s career and audiences around the world. Yet, the Pussycat Dolls are an extraordinary group of women who have stepped up to the plate and are going on tour with Britney, promising to make this show a pure spectacle.

The pussycat Dolls are working non stop, joining Britney’s circus right after wrapping up their own Doll Domination tour.

“We just came back from Serbia,” Niclole Scherzinger told mtvnews.com. “We finished our leg of our tour — which is completely the opposite of this — and just landed last night. So we’re still working … just working everything out. It’s pretty unbelievable.”
Although PCD have been doing non-stop touring, they are still incredibly excited and charged with energy for the Circus. “This whole show is amazing … it’s a perfect match, really,” Doll Ashley Roberts said. “Britney Spears is truly a Pussycat Doll, and she’s an icon and she’s someone I have watched and always looked up to, as a triple-threat entertainer. So it’s a perfect match — PCD and Britney Spears, in the circus.”

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According to Access Hollywood, Britney Spears will appear in the new Pussycat Dolls video.

The Dolls are shooting the video for their latest single, “When I Grow Up” in California.

Spears is rumoured to be a huge fan of the Pussycat Dolls and will reportedly appear in the video for a brief moment.

The Dolls’ second album is slated to be released sometime in September.

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Laguna Beach’s Talan Torriero just keeps moving up the dating ladder. Torriero, the cute boy who hooked up with Laguna co-star Kristin Cavallari on season two of the MTV reality series, has gone on to date red-hot Lindsay Lohan and now – Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger.

Torriero and PCD frontwoman Scherzinger were caught by paparazzi Thursday eating and shopping at Los Angeles’ The Grove.

Scherzinger tried to stay low-key, hiding underneath an oversized camo hoodie and big sunglasses but she couldn’t escape the cameras.

Torriero was photographed carrying Scherzinger’s purse.

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A promotions company that organized a Pussycat Dolls concert in Malaysia has been fined for violating decency laws with the show.

According to the BBC, Absolute Entertainment was slapped with a 10,000 Ringgits ($3000 CDN) fine for letting the group perform a “sexually suggestive” set.

The concert took place in the Kuala Lumpur suburb on July 26. The council responsible for the area issued the fine.

A complaint by Malaysia’s culture minister led to the punishment.

“I believe the way the Pussycat Dolls behaved on stage amounted to gross indecency,” he said, according to local newspaper the Malay Mail.

It’s not the first time that Malaysian authorities have targeted musicians for decency regulations. In 2003, Linkin Park was told they couldn’t wear shorts while playing in the country. And in 2004, Mariah Carey was told to heed regulations on clothing.

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Pop/burlesque/dance/whatever group The Pussycat Dolls is enlisting the help of reality TV to find their newest member.

According to the BBC, an eight-part series called “The Search for the Next Pussycat Doll” will air on the CW network. The contestant who ends up winning the televised competition will join the current Dolls lineup.

Like many TV talent competitions, portions of the series will be broadcast live. Would-be Dolls will be put to the test by the group’s founder and choreographer, Robin Antin.

“At its core, this show goes beyond just finding a new Pussycat Doll – it’s about female empowerment, self-discovery and personal transformation,” said CW’s president of entertainment, Dawn Ostroff.

Of course, the show will likely offer a hefty dose of Dolls-esque raunch and skin with its “female empowerment.”

The show is expected to air in 2007.

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Toymaker Hasbro Inc. has abandoned a planned line of dolls inspired by the Pussycat Dolls. Billboard reports that Hasbro decided the dolls were “inappropriate” for the company to market to their young customer base.

Pussycat Dolls, an all-female music group, is known for racy lyrics and barely-there outfits.

A U.S. advocacy group called Dads & Daughters had campaigned against the toy line.

“We asked Hasbro executives to imagine encouraging their own 6-year-old daughters and granddaughters to engage in developmentally unhealthy behavior,” said Joe Kelly, president of Dads & Daughters, in a statement.”It appears that they did that, and then made the right decision for their families, our families, and the company.”

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It’s been six months since the Pussycat Dolls released their debut single, “Don’t Cha,” and looking over the Billboard charts will reveal that they still hold a spot near the top.

Now with a hot album ? “PCD,” released last month ? the six women of the Pussycat Dolls are out to prove that they are here to stay.

Preaching self-confidence and girl power, the Pussycat Dolls spoke to andPOP on a recent trip to Toronto.

Watch the interview to find out about their next moves, how they handle criticism, what they want to stand for, and the key to Nicole’s heart.

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You’ve already been hearing this summer’s biggest hit, Don’t Cha, and now the Pussycat Dolls are putting the final touches on their debut album.

“PCD,” which will be released on Sept. 13, will include tracks produced by Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am, Timbaland, Rich Harrison, Polow and Ron Fair.

Lead singer Nicole Scherzinger says, “When I think about eighteen months ago when this all began and how far we’ve come, I can’t wait to see where we are eighteen months from now. It’s also such an honor to have the baton of a number one song passed to us by an icon like Mariah Carey.”

Fans of the dolls can catch them performing their hit on the Teen Choice Awards, which airs August 16 on Fox.

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