If you've been wondering what happened to Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas, you're not alone.
There's been a lot of speculation as to why the singer left the group back in 2017 and it's caused more questions than answers.
Well, will.i.am finally set the record straight in a new interview with Billboard.
Come see what he had to say.
The original group, best known for their hits "I Gotta Feeling," "My Humps," and "Pump It" originally consisted of Will.i.am, Fergie, Apl.de.ap, and Taboo.
This was so she could focus on her solo career, but drama behind-the-scenes soon became apparent.
This all started when she left Interscope Records to form her own label, Dutchess Music, as part of a global partnership with BMG Rights Management.
This made it all the more cryptic when will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo shared a post on Instagram with the caption:
"Hear no evil / See no evil / Speak no evil."
Soon after this, with the status of the group unclear, will.i.am gave a statement to AHLAN Live, confirming that, yes, Fergie had left the band.
"On Elephunk, there were several females that appeared on that album. Obviously Fergie was the featured female, but on songs like Lets Get it Started, it’s Noelle (Scaggs), and then Fergie, songs like Latin Girls, it’s Debi Nova, and Request Line, it’s Macy Gray."
When asked if Fergie was being replaced, he said no.
"As for replacing, what people know The Black Eyed Peas to be, nobody is replacing Fergie...She’s working on her solo project at the moment."
"We worked on a bunch of songs on her solo record, we’re proud that she has her label, but Black Eyed Peas are pushing it forward in terms of content, technology and experiences on our new project, Masters of the Sun."
The same year she left the BEP, she ended up splitting from actor Josh Duhamel, her husband of 10 years.
Together, they share a six-year-old son, Axl.
When asked by Billboard about whether Fergie has heard the new album or not, will.i.am said:
“She hasn’t heard it. She’s going to hear it when everybody else hears it. I hope she likes it."
"We reach out every once in a while and say our hellos and happy birthdays and Merry Christmas and Happy Easter.”
He then stated that there's no bad blood between Fergie and the BEP.
"That's a hard job, and that’s what she really wants to do and we’re here for her, and she knows how to contact us for a retreat or a breakaway," will.i.am continued.
She's busy being a mom, even though she did tell Entertainment Weekly back in 2017 that becoming a mom got her back on her game with music.
"I kept wanting to make it better and better. I wanted to strive for greatness," she said.
"We love Fergie, and we don’t want anything but awesomeness for her.
Apl.de.ap also chimed in, saying that Fergie is their "sister."
He continued:
"But unfortunately our schedule is displaced by [her] wanting to be a great mom, and she wants to focus on that. And like Will said, we support her 100 per cent.”
