Will.I.Am Reveals Why Fergie Left Black Eyed Peas

Will.I.Am Reveals Why Fergie Left Black Eyed Peas: She’s Focusing On Being A Mom

We now know why Fergie is no longer a member of the Black Eyed Peas. Chatter about her exit started after the group released their first single without Fergie, titled “Street Livin'” on January 9, 2018. One month later, will.i.am confirmed that Fergie would not be featured on the group’s seventh studio album. Instead, Jessica Reynoso (stage name “J. Rey Soul”), former The Voice of the Philippines season 1 finalist and Team Apl.de.ap member, joined the group as the female vocalist and “semi-official” member.

Now, Black Eyed Peas members Will.i.am, Taboo and Apl.de.ap say that they are still on good terms with Fergie. will.i.am said she left to,

“devote more time to parenting her 6-year-old son, Axl.” 

Fergie with son Axl

He added,

“We love her, and she’s focusing on being a mom. 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,”

“We try to keep in touch. We reach out every once in a while and say our hellos and happy birthdays and Merry Christmas and Happy Easter. She knows where we’re at! We’re at the studio.”

Apl.de.ap added, that the group’s schedules didn’t mesh with Fergie’s desire to be a present mom for her child.

“Fergie is our sister, so even with these small connections, she’s always going to be our sister. 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%.”

Earlier this month, the Black Eyed Peas released their eighth studio album, “Translation.” Fergie took to Twitter to send well wishes to her former group.

Last year, the first female vocalist of Black Eyed Peas, Kim Hill spoke out about her vocals being replaced by Fergie, and how new management pressured her to be oversexualized.

“There was new management now, so it’s a whole different set of expectations and pressure. It just started to get clumsy and messy. You want me to grind on Will.i.am in a bathing suit? That was being asked of me, never by the guys. That was happening from an executive level.”

She added,

“The tug of war was about my sexuality and how much of that I was willing to like, literally strip down. I never wanted to be objectified while doing my music. ‘Where’s your voice? Where are you?’”