Nicole Scherzinger felt like she got back to her “authentic self” when she was single.
The American singer-songwriter rose to fame as the frontwoman of the Pussycat Dolls girl group, and has since gone on to rack up an impressive resume, acting as a judge on The Voice U.K. and starring in the West End revival of musical Cats.
The 38-year-old famously had an on-off relationship with Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton since 2007, with the pair officially splitting in 2015. Though she’s since been dating professional tennis player Grigor Dimitrov, the star admits that being single after her split from Lewis was a key phase in her life.
“I got back to my authentic self,” she told Britain’s Glamour magazine. “It was, oh, this is what I like and this is what makes me laugh and what makes me dance and feel free. It was a transformative, healing time.”
Nicole realises that it is “easy to be dependent” on others, though she hopes to promote the idea that women should feel confident to pursue their own paths. And she also champions the idea of young women taking time out for themselves.
“It’s so important as women, whether we’re in relationships or not, that we nurture ourselves,” she explained. “You have stronger relationships when you’re strong within. When you’re not looking for somebody else to fulfil you.”
While Nicole is used to being in the public eye, she makes a concerted effort to avoid reading comments about herself and her peers on the Internet as she feels the medium can be so negative, particularly in regards to body image. She adds that she’s “very sensitive” and when she reads “bad stuff” it can really impact her emotionally.
“I don’t know if I just take it – I think I turn a blind eye,” she shared. “People follow you online, say horrific things, full of hate. That’s not what we need in this world, what we need is love."
