Nicole Scherzinger has opened up about how terrifying it was being a pop star, especially when conversations around mental health were practically nonexistent. Starting her music career with the girl group Eden’s Crush and skyrocketing to fame as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, Nicole was quickly thrown into the chaos of the entertainment world—and looking back, she says it was “really scary.”
In a raw and honest chat with PEOPLE, Nicole Scherzinger explained just how intense it felt to be in the spotlight while still trying to understand herself. She was only 22 when she started touring the world, but emotionally, she says she felt more like a 16-year-old. Coming from a strict religious background and a sheltered life, the pop world was a shock to her system. And while fans saw the glitz and glamour, Nicole was privately wrestling with pressure, self-doubt, and a hunger for validation.
The scariest part? According to Nicole, no one was really talking about mental health back then. She said the industry lacked the tools to support young artists emotionally, and there was a constant pressure to prove yourself. That pressure took a toll. “You have this insatiable hunger within you… it never feels like enough,” she said. “We want that validation. We want that acceptance. And I was very hard on myself.”
Nicole Scherzinger’s story is a reminder of the emotional weight that comes with fame. While she was performing hit after hit with the Pussycat Dolls, the inner battles she faced were invisible to most. The image she projected to the world didn’t reflect the struggles going on behind the scenes. It’s a truth many pop stars have echoed, especially women who often feel extra pressure to maintain a certain image.
By 2009, Nicole’s time with the Pussycat Dolls came to an end, and she shifted gears into solo music, reality TV judging, and eventually, the stage. Her performances on shows like The X Factor brought her into millions of homes, but it was the theater that really helped her feel seen.
Now starring in Sunset Boulevard on both the West End and Broadway, Nicole says she’s finally in a place where she feels fulfilled and understood. “I have worked many, many years to build up to this moment, and it’s changed my life,” she said. “I’ve never been happier, I think, because I always had so much inside of me that I felt like people didn’t see or understand.”
There’s a quiet power in how Nicole is reclaiming her narrative. Instead of letting her pop star past define her, she’s taking the parts of her artistry that were overlooked and putting them front and center. And in a world that now talks more openly about mental health, she’s finally able to say the things she once kept silent.
Her story is also a wake-up call about the kind of support systems needed in the entertainment industry. Fame is often sold as a dream, but for young artists like Nicole Scherzinger, it can be a nightmare if you’re not mentally prepared. Her honesty adds to a growing conversation among celebrities about how fame can be isolating and emotionally draining.
Looking back, Nicole admits that she didn’t have the emotional tools to cope when she was younger, but she’s proud of how far she’s come. “Being a pop star and being thrust out there to the world when you’re still trying to figure out who you are… yeah, it was really scary,” she said.
But now? She’s glowing. She’s grounded. And she’s finally getting to show the world the depth of her talent on her own terms.
