What Happened To The Pussycat Dolls’ Seventh Member, Asia Nitollano?
Pussycat Dolls fans were excited when they announced their reunion and plans to tour and release new music. The Nicole Scherzinger led girl group rose to popularity with their breakout hit “Don’t Cha” in 2005 and had a string of hits before disbanding to pursue their own solo careers. Melody Thornton has opted not to return with her former bandmates, but there’s also another former group member missing. Asia Nitollano was with the group for a brief period of time before deciding to try her chances at solo stardom.
Asia Nitollano was offered a spot in The Pussycat Dolls after winning a reality television competition
When Nitollano learned that The Pussycat Dolls were looking to add a new member, she jumped at the chance to audition. At the time, Nitollano said that being in the band would be the “group for me.” She impressed judges and was one of nine finalists chosen to compete on the CW series, Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll.
The series documented the contestants living together and working with The Pussycat Dolls’ founder, Robin Antin, as they were groomed for a potential spot in the group. Weekly, the girls performed songs selected by Antin and were judged on their overall look, stage presence, vocals, and dancing ability. Aside from Antin, Lil’ Kim and music executive Ron Fair were judges.
Nitolaano was a standout from the beginning. Though she struggled at times with her vocals – with judges noting that she often times over performed a song – she was praised for her overall perfomances. The judges were particularly impressed with her dancing skills, something the group was known for.
But Fair was often not impressed with Nitollano. She also had several issues with girls in the house who felt she was the judge’s favorite. In the end, she was crowned the winner and seventh member of the group.
Why Asia Nitollano decided against joining The Pussycat Dolls
Nitollano performed with the group for the first time during the season finale of the series. They performed their hit, “Don’t Cha.” Under the terms of her win, Nitollano was set to officially join the group at the conclusion of their world tour.
She appeared with the group once at the CW Upfronts. Months later, she announced that she opted to not join the group to pursue a solo career instead. The CW’s entertainment president Dawn Ostroff told reporters at the time, “It was totally her call,” and explained that Nitollano was never contractually obligated to join the group.
Nitollano grew up in a musical household as the daughter of Joe Bataan, a Latin singer. Her dream was always to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a superstar. She landed her first big break in entertainment as a dancer for the New York Knicks when she was still in high school. After leaving the group, she went back to her job as a Knicks dancer for a year.
What is Asia Nitollano doing today?
Nitollano worked as a model for Diddy’s Sean Jean Women’s collection. She also did a King Magazine spread. She reportedly signed a record deal with The Inc. Records, headed by Irv Gotti, but never released any music while under his management.
She currently works as a dancer and often posts videos of her choreography to her Instagram page. She also is still actively pursuing music and has a YouTube channel. In 2017, she started Mommy Daughter Team, a website and blog centered around her relationship with her teenage daughter.
