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Wednesday, 3 June 2015

Girlband G.R.L. split nine months after suicide of fellow member and X Factor USA finalist Simone Battle

Girlband G.R.L. split nine months after suicide of fellow member and X Factor USA finalist Simone Battle

The girl band G.R.L. has broken up.
The US group, whose member Simone Battle died in September, confirmed the split through their record label, according to Billboard.
Battle, 25, who rose to fame as a finalist on the X-Factor USA in 2011, committed suicide last year and was mentioned in the statement explaining the group's split.
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Disbanded: Lauren Bennett, Natasha Slayton, Emmalyn Estrada and Paula van Oppen of G.R.L., pictured in February, have split nine months after the death of Simone Battle 
Disbanded: Lauren Bennett, Natasha Slayton, Emmalyn Estrada and Paula van Oppen of G.R.L., pictured in February, have split nine months after the death of Simone Battle 
'Nearly 9 months following the tragic death of band member Simone Battle, girl group G.R.L. announces today that they are disbanding,' said the statement from Kemosabe Records, RCA Records, manager Larry Rudolph and the group's founder, choreographer Robin Antin.
'We wish them continued success in each of their next creative endeavors.'
G.R.L. consisted of Battle, Lauren Bennett, Paula van Oppen, Natasha Slayton, and Emmalyn Estrada.
Battle's death was ruled a suicide after she hanged herself.
Flashback: Battle, 25, stepped out in NYC on August 20, two weeks before her shock suicide 
Flashback: Battle, 25, stepped out in NYC on August 20, two weeks before her shock suicide 
The five-piece continued as a four-piece after Battle's death but only ever released a self-titled EP since their formation in 2013.
Their only top 40 hit in the US came as a featured artist on Pitbull's Wild Wild Love.
However, their song Ugly Heart did well in Australia and came in at No.10 in the ARIA top 100 singles of 2014.
Antin is the choreographer who founded the Pussycat Dolls and G.R.L. was her idea to reboot the format. 
You go girl! She performed on the X-Factor USA in August 2011, rising to fame as one of the finalists  
You go girl! She performed on the X-Factor USA in August 2011, rising to fame as one of the finalists  
The four remaining women spoke out about Battle's death in January.
'You can never prepare yourself for something like this, ever,' Bennett told People.
'We'd just been in rehearsals the day before, learning choreography for our show, and the next day we were starting the morning as usual when we got the call.
'I still can't believe it. I don't think any of us can. It's weird that we're even sitting here, talking about it.'
Flashback: Slayton, Battle, Bennett, van Oppen and Estrada posed as a group of five in July 2014 
Flashback: Slayton, Battle, Bennett, van Oppen and Estrada posed as a group of five in July 2014 
The band spent time in therapy, both individually and together.
'She was such a strong woman, and very independent, and we had no idea what she was going through, or her pain,' van Oppen added.
'We admire how prideful she was, but now we just wish she'd let us in a little bit so maybe we could have helped her.'
The ladies dedicated their song Lighthouse to Battle, using footage from her childhood and time with the band in the accompanying music video.
*Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800. 


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3108483/Girlband-G-R-L-split-nine-months-suicide-fellow-member-X-Factor-USA-finalist-Simone-Battle.html#ixzz3c2ORdrTl
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