Nicole Scherzinger Recalls Facing Ageism in Music Industry After Turning 30 originally appeared on Parade.
Nicole Scherzinger opened up about the ageism she faced in her music career while in her early 30s.
The legendary singer, 47, who rose to stardom with the beloved Pussycat Dolls and became a solo star in her own right, appeared on CBS Sunday Morning on Sunday and revealed that after splitting off from the famous girl group, the music industry wasn’t eager to play her songs.
“I’ll never forget when I turned 30 after the [Pussycat] Dolls, and the record labels were still, like, hesitant to play my music,” Scherzinger explained.
“Because you turned 30?” said CBS correspondent Tracy Smith in response.
“Yes,” Scherzinger said. “I think when I was in my early 30s, they were already aging me up in roles.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Nicole Scherzinger (@nicolescherzinger)
🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬
Scherzinger also noted that in acting auditions, casting professionals were already looking to cast her in roles as the mother.
“I was, like, ‘But, I don’t have children,’ she said. “It’s definitely still relevant, but I think the women are changing, so things are changing. We are not allowing people to hold us back and view us in that way because we don’t view ourselves, and we don’t put ourselves in a box like that.”
Scherzinger’s journey is reminiscent of her latest character, Norma Desmond, in the Broadway revival of Sunset Boulevard.
“I think that it’s difficult. It’s hard, [in] the industry, because you’re constantly, already, even at a young age, comparing yourself,” Scherzinger explained. “It’s difficult that the industry, kind of, puts an expiration date on you when you’ve actually lived a life and actually have something really meaningful to say and because you have experienced life and career and heartache and love and loss. It’s a bit of a pity, I think, but I think that hopefully things are changing now.”
Related: Nicole Scherzinger, 47, Turns Up the Heat in Poolside Bikini Video from Paradise
Nicole Scherzinger Recalls Facing Ageism in Music Industry After Turning 30 first appeared on Parade on Aug 10, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
