Danity Kane was an American girl group whose original and most well-known lineup comprised

Aubrey O'Day Aubrey Morgan O'Day (born February 11, 1984) is an American singer and reality television personality, best known for being a member of the girl group Danity Kane. Following discord among Danity Kane and with her mentor at the time, P. Diddy, O'D ...

Aundrea Fimbres Aundrea Aurora Fimbres (born June 29, 1983) is a retired American singer. She was a member of the pop music group Danity Kane. She is a soprano and was known for her melismatic vocal runs, and falsetto registered harmonies and also for having th ...

Dawn Richard Dawn Angeliqué Richard (born August 5, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter. She started her career after auditioning for ''Making the Band 3'' in 2004. During this time, Richard became a member of girl band Danity Kane, from 2005 to 2009, a ...

Shannon Bex Shannon Rae Bex (born March 22, 1980) is an American singer, reality show personality, professional dancer, and co-founder of Vooks. the world's first streaming platform for children's storybooks. She was also a member of girl group Danity Kane ...

, and Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgett. Its most recent iteration included O'Day and Richard as a duo after the departures of Bex in 2019, Fimbres in 2014 and Woods in 2008. Formed on the third iteration of

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

's ''

Making the Band ''Making the Band'' is an ABC/MTV reality television series that exists in separate iterations, each focusing on a specific music act. It spawned musical acts O-Town, Da Band, Danity Kane, Day26, and Donnie Klang. Except for the first iteration o ...

'' reality television series in 2005, they were originally signed to

Bad Boy Records Bad Boy Records (or Bad Boy Entertainment) is an American record label founded in 1993 by rapper Sean "Puffy" Combs. It operates as an imprint of Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. It has been home to many artists, including ...

by Diddy from 2006 to 2009. Danity Kane's self-titled debut studio album was released in 2006 and achieved success in the United States, shipping a million copies domestically, while spawning two singles with top 10 single " Show Stopper" and the ballad "

Ride for You "Ride for You" is a song by American girl group Danity Kane. It was written by Bryan Michael Cox, Kendrick "Wyldcard" Dean, and Adonis Shropshire for the group's debut album ''Danity Kane'' (2006), while production was helmed by Cox along with co ...

". Their second studio album, ''

Welcome to the Dollhouse ''Welcome to the Dollhouse'' is a 1995 American Coming-of-age story, coming-of-age black comedy film written and directed by Todd Solondz. An independent film, it won the Grand Jury Prize at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival and launched the career ...

'', was released in 2008 following the release of their second top 10 single " Damaged". The band became the first female group in ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' history to debut their first two albums at the top of the charts.''

''/''The Rise and Fall of Danity Kane'',

(April 30, 2009). Retrieved on April 30, 2009. Despite initial success, tension in the group led to a meeting with Diddy where, in the October 2008 finale episode of ''

Making the Band 4 ''Making the Band'' is an ABC/MTV reality television series that exists in separate iterations, each focusing on a specific music act. It spawned musical acts O-Town, Da Band, Danity Kane, Day26, and Donnie Klang. Except for the first iteration o ...

'', he removed O'Day and Woodgett from the group. The three remaining members of the group carried on with previously scheduled promotional events before officially disbanding in early 2009. All group members were ultimately released from their contracts with Bad Boy Records later within the year. In 2013, four of the five group members (O'Day, Bex, Richard and Fimbres) made an official announcement regarding their reunion at the

2013 MTV Video Music Awards The 2013 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 25, 2013, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Marking the 30th installment of the award show, they were the first to be held in New York City not to use a venue within the borough of M ...

; however, on May 16, 2014, the first night of their reunion tour in San Francisco, Fimbres announced her departure from the group due to wanting to start her family, leaving O'Day, Bex and Richard to continue as a trio. On August 8, 2014, after a fight in the recording studio between members O'Day and Richard, O'Day and Bex announced publicly that Danity Kane had disbanded again. Although they disbanded, their third studio album, ''

DK3 ''DK3'' is the third and final studio album by American girl-group Danity Kane. It was released on October 27, 2014, by Stereotypes Music and Mass Appeal, in association with BMG Rights Management. It was the group's first album in six years foll ...

'', was released in October 2014. Following the second disbandment, Richard continued to release solo music while O'Day and Bex formed the duo

Dumblonde Dumblonde (stylized dumblonde) is an American alternative dance pop duo consisting of Danity Kane members Shannon Bex and Aubrey O'Day. History 2014–2016: Danity Kane split, formation of Dumblonde and debut album On August 4, 2014, while i ...

. In August 2018, the trio announced that they would reunite and tour together. O'Day and Richard released new music as a duo under Danity Kane in 2020. However, since March 2020, the group stopped posting on their official

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

account, leaving the group on an indefinite hiatus.

History

2004–2005: ''Making the Band 3''

In 2004, producer

Sean Combs Sean Combs (born Sean John Combs; November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy, is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive. Born in New York City, he worked as a talent directo ...

returned with ''Making the Band 3'', the third iteration of the ''

'' television series, in search of the next female supergroup. With the help of choreographer

Laurie Ann Gibson Laurieann Gibson (born July 14, 1969) is a Canadian choreographer, director, television personality, singer, actress, and dancer. She has choreographed dance numbers for musical artists such as Michael Jackson, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, and Beyon ...

, vocal trainer Doc Holiday and talent manager Johnny Wright, he set out on a multi-city search and invited 20 young singers out of almost 10,000 young women to live and compete for positions in the group in New York City. When seven women remained, Combs became discontent with the level of talent remaining in the competition and decided not to form a band. He did, however, feel three contestants deserved another chance, including then-best friends

and

, whose close bond originally formed early in the season. The three contestants became the first to appear in season 2 of the show. At the start of the second season, Combs once again pressed his team to audition new young women for the group. Finally, 20 young women were chosen and moved into a loft in New York City. Viewers had become invested in O'Day and Fimbres's friendship, naming them "the AUs" and "Aubrea" (

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words As the competition's challenges increased, their friendship seemed to become the foundation upon which the group was being built. In addition, O'Day emerged as the show's breakout star. After weeks of dance and singing lessons, promotional appearances, and a performance in front of 10,000 at a

Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. The gr ...

concert at

Nissan Pavilion Jiffy Lube Live (originally known as the Nissan Pavilion) in Bristow, Virginia, is an outdoor amphitheater in suburban Prince William County, about 35 miles west of Washington, D.C. Owned and operated by Live Nation, the amphitheater can seat 25,2 ...

in Bristow, VA, 11 contestants remained, including O'Day and Fimbres. The finalists were sent home for three months, told to polish up, and return for the final stretch in November 2005. On the second season's finale, on Tuesday, November 15, 2005, the show's ratings broke MTV records as millions of viewers watched to see the group officially formed. Five of the 11 remaining contestants were chosen: O'Day first, Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgett second,

third,

fourth, and Fimbres last. The third season of ''Making the Band 3'' tracked the development and struggles of the new band — from then on known as "Danity Kane" (a name taken from a female

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

superhero created and drawn by Richard). The group would later be featured on the second and third seasons of ''

'' with new male R&B group

Day26 Day26 is an American male R&B music group formed in August 2007 by Sean "Diddy" Combs in a handpicked selection at the end of MTV's ''Making the Band 4.'' The group consists of Robert Curry, Brian Angel, Willie Taylor, Qwanell Mosley and Michael ...

, as well as new solo artist

Donnie Klang Donald Joseph Klang (born January 23, 1985) is an American singer. He won ''Making the Band 4'' and was awarded his own solo contract by Diddy. He released his debut album, '' Just a Rolling Stone'', in late 2008. Life and career Klang was b ...

2006–2007: ''Danity Kane'' and rumors of disbandment

20060909 Danity Kane Chicago Signing (2)

After months of recording, the band's self-titled debut album was released to mixed reviews on August 22, 2006, in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Produced by

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...

Scott Storch Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is an American record producer and songwriter. He started off as a keyboardist for the group the Roots. Early life Storch was born on Long Island, New York. He was raised in South Florida and Phila ...

Rodney Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...

Mario Winans Mario Mendell Winans ( Brown; born August 29, 1974) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer best known for his 2004 song "I Don't Wanna Know", which reached number 2 in the United States and number 1 in the United Kingdom. Winan ...

and

Ryan Leslie Anthony Ryan Leslie (born September 25, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and entrepreneur from Washington, D.C. He has produced singles for a number of prominent artists in a variety of genres, ranging from R&B, hip hop ...

among others, the album sold over 90,000 copies in the first day of release, and over 234,000 in the first week of release. It debuted at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart, knocking veteran

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...

's '' Back to Basics'' from the top spot and out-selling hip-hop duo OutKast. The album received a

platinum certification Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

from the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

in November 2006. The album's lead single " Show Stopper", produced by Jim Jonsin, was serviced to radio on August 4, 2006, and subsequently debuted at number 17 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; it however peaked at number 8 on that particular chart. Outside the United States, the song became a top-30 success in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

. The selection for the album's second single, the

Bryan Michael Cox Bryan-Michael Paul Cox (born December 1, 1977) is an American record producer and songwriter who is notable for his work with artists such as Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and Toni Braxton. Among his most notable productions are "Be Wit ...

-produced "

", was influenced by a fan poll that was distributed through e-mails, MySpace, and the group's official web site. The music video for the song premiered on

's ''

Total Request Live ''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...

'' on December 5, 2006, the same day the band released a holiday song called "Home for Christmas", which was written by Richard. From February to May 2007, Danity Kane performed as an opening act, along with

The Pussycat Dolls The Pussycat Dolls were an American girl group and dance ensemble, founded in Los Angeles, California, by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995 as a burlesque troupe. At the suggestion of Jimmy Iovine, Antin decided to take the burlesque troupe ...

, on Christina Aguilera's

Back to Basics Tour The Back to Basics Tour was the fourth concert tour and third world tour by American singer Christina Aguilera. The tour was launched to support her fifth studio album, '' Back to Basics'' (2006). It visited Europe, North America, Asia, and Austra ...

. In the meantime, the band intensified work on their second album, which was initially scheduled for a late 2007 release but was eventually pushed back to 2008. Ever since the creation of the group, Danity Kane was plagued by rumors of the group's demise, largely due to the group's reality television origins, their management, record label, and mentor. In the summer of 2007, during a hiatus between their first and second albums, speculation concerning the possibility of a disbandment by fans and the media circulated the internet and entertainment news outlets. The rumors were fueled by quotes taken out of context (most notably when Aubrey O'Day was questioned by

TMZ TMZ is a tabloid news website owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, originally as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. On September 13, 202 ...

about her relationship to the successful pop girl group the

Pussycat Dolls Pussycat or Pussy Cat may refer to: * Cat, a domestic feline Music Bands * Pussycat (band), a Dutch country and pop group * The Pussycats, a 1960s Norwegian rock band * The Pussycats, a group signed to Kama Sutra Records Albums * ''Pussy Cats'', ...

and their television show '' Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll'') and by work the group members had done outside of Danity Kane since the release of their debut album.

D. Woods Wanita Denise Woodgett (born July 6, 1985), better known as by her nickname D. Woods, is an American singer, dancer, and actress. Woods is the founder and CEO of Woodgrane Entertainment, but best known for her efforts on MTV's "Making The Band 3 ...

's association with another girl group, The Girl's Club, was specifically cited as adding credibility to breakup rumors. Additionally, reports of solo careers and of new groups forming from various combinations of members of the group were rampant. Over the course of these rumors, the members of Danity Kane often published personal online responses to the breakup speculation. It was not until July 25, 2007, that Danity Kane released an official statement on their group MySpace page stating that they were still together and working on their second album.

2007–2008: ''Welcome to the Dollhouse'' and departures of O'Day and Woods

While making several solo appearances on other artists' albums during fall 2007, Danity Kane was featured on the second season of the fourth iteration of ''Making the Band'' which debuted January 28, 2008, on

, where solo singer

, and the girls, lived and recorded their albums together. " Damaged", the band's poll-voted lead single from their second album ''

'', was officially released as a digital single on January 29, 2008, and became the band's second top ten hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Its music video was nominated for an

MTV Video Music Award The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...

for "Best Pop Video" and "Best Dancing in a Video" but lost to "

Piece of Me "Piece of Me" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, '' Blackout'' (2007). It was released on November 27, 2007, by Jive Records as the second single from the album, but was actually the last song recorded. It ...

" by

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

and " When I Grow Up" by

the Pussycat Dolls The Pussycat Dolls were an American girl group and dance ensemble, founded in Los Angeles, California, by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995 as a burlesque troupe. At the suggestion of Jimmy Iovine, Antin decided to take the burlesque troupe ...

respectively. ''Welcome to the Dollhouse'', was eventually released on March 18, 2008, in the United States, where it debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, with first week sales of 236,000 copies (2,000 units more than their self-titled debut album). The album eventually received a

gold certification Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

from the

in April 2008. On September 28, 2008, the album had sold a total of 546,790 copies. In a May 2008 interview with Kiwibox.com, Danity Kane revealed that the follow-up single to "Damaged" would be " Bad Girl". On the second-season finale of ''Making the Band 4'', it was announced that Danity Kane would be headlining a tour in 2008 and be featured on the next season of ''Making the Band'', as Diddy stated himself. The third season of ''Making the Band 4'' premiered on MTV August 19, 2008. Around a week later, the girls were featured in an interview with Z100 at the Beatstock Dance Festival, where they stated they were planning to release another single after "Bad Girl". After ''Making the Band 4 – The Tour'' and the release of the first single "Damaged", Danity Kane once again encountered rumors of a breakup, largely spurred by scenes from the ''Making the Band'' series featuring their mentor

sparring with O'Day over her dance performance and desire to create her own image separate from the group. On the August 28, 2008, episode of ''Making the Band'', Combs, frustrated with the "oversexed" image he felt O'Day now showcased, he called O'Day "one of the worst dancers" in Danity Kane, when she used to be "one of the best".''

'', ''

'' (August 28, 2008). Retrieved on October 16, 2008. He told O'Day that she no longer looked like the girl he signed. Combs accused O'Day of trying to expand her fame at the expense of the entire group, and said that she liked flaunting her breasts and wearing big hair. He asked himself why he was keeping O'Day in the group. With O'Day forgoing promotional appearances with the group to appear as Amber Von Tussle on Broadway's

Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album ** ''Hairspray ...

, speculation arose that O'Day's role in the group had been marginalized. On September 7, 2008, however, the group appeared together at the

MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...

to help present the Best New Artist Award. Speculation of a break-up were also developing because of rumors that Richard would perhaps be groomed to launch her own solo career with

.''

'', ''

'' (October 7, 2008). Retrieved on October 7, 2008. Rumors had been circulating that Richard was flown from Baltimore to New York for private meetings with Combs to launch her own solo career, especially after recording three tracks for Combs, which were purported to be Danity Kane tracks but only featured Richard's vocals; these vocals were leaked on the Internet. Combs went as far as to introduce Richard in a solo performance in early September. An

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

spokesperson responded, "At no point was ichardflown anywhere to record solo or meet alone with ombs The girls are still very much together. They're going out to the Video Music Awards together ... and they're promoting their album 'Welcome to the Dollhouse' and working on their third." The group intended to open for

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

's ''

Rock Witchu Tour Rock Witchu Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson, in support of her tenth studio album '' Discipline'' (2008), and her first in nearly seven years, following a total blacklist of the singer's music, due to ...

'', but had to withdraw due to label conflicts. In Season 3, Episode 8 of ''Making the Band'', Combs stated that he did have Richard on three demos for his new album. On the same episode of the show, which was filmed on September 12, 2008, after continued debate with O'Day about the well-being of Danity Kane, he stated that O'Day was no longer in the group, as had been foreshadowed in an earlier episode within the season after a

TRL TRL or trl may refer to: Arts * Temporary Residence Limited, a record label * ''Total Request Live'', a former MTV show * TRL Awards (''Total Request Live''), an Italian music award Libraries * Tampines Regional Library, a regional library in Ta ...

(Total Request Live) appearance. Combs was unaware of the specific problems within the group, but sensed that O'Day and

, who were originally close friends, had drastically drifted apart. O'Day and Richard informed Combs that the entire group had trust issues with management and ultimately each other. The season finale, which took place Tuesday, October 14, 2008, confirmed the departure of O'Day and Woods.''

'', ''

'' (October 14, 2008). Retrieved on October 14, 2008. Combs removed Woods due to feeling that she was unhappy with the group and that she had gotten "caught up in the wrath" of close friend O'Day. In the live section of the episode, Combs explained that the reason he let O'Day go was that she was not the same person he signed, that the fame had changed her (as had been expressed on the August 28, 2008, episode). "I got love for Aubrey", he said. "I don't have any beef with her. I just want to work with the young lady that I signed, not the person that fame has made her." He later stated that he would be open to working with Woods again. When O'Day came on to reply, just moments after deciding not to leave the studio, she first addressed the perception some people, especially

blog A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...

gers, have of her. "I would rather be hated every damn day of my life for being real than loved for being something I'm not", she stated. Combs, who spoke to the group and the audience via satellite, relayed to O'Day, "Check this out, baby girl... See, your attitude is gonna have you in a dark and lonely place. ... What you need to do, at the end of the day, is humble yourself." Woods did not appear on the live episode due to prior obligations. In a backstage interview before the finale, O'Day said, "Tonight is a representation of the end of a chapter in my life; it's not the end of the book." She added, "I will do everything possible to make my mark on this industry, and Danity Kane and ombsprovided me with this amazing opportunity to go out and really touch people's hearts. I think the way that we were able to inspire people was something that I will never be able to achieve in that way again in my life."

News reached out to a rep for Danity Kane to see where the future of the band stood now that 'Day and Woodswere no longer in the group. It was reported that Woods planned to work with another group, the Girls Club, and that O'Day was working on a solo album. In an October 15, 2008, interview with ''

Us Weekly ''Us Weekly'' is a weekly celebrity and entertainment magazine based in New York City. ''Us Weekly'' was founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986, and sold to American Media Inc ...

'', Richard gave further insight into O'Day's dismissal from Danity Kane. " ombsdid not like 'Day'simage...where her image was going for the group", she said. "It wasn't a personal thing." Richard explained that O'Day's increasingly "sexy look" was alienating young fans. Referring specifically to O'Day's topless pictures for ''

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

'' magazine just a month before, Richard stated, "We had just did a signing with Dollhouse Teen, which is for 13, 14-year-old young girls... So we can't do that one day and then the next day do an obnoxious cover.... ombswants the fans, and he says he can't do that if we can continue to go in the direction that we were going." Richard further relayed, " ombstold me specifically that 'Dayis no longer in Danity Kane and Danity Kane will move forward without her." When asked if Combs would seek "replacements" for O'Day and Woods, Richard stated, "He has not said anything per that. But I think in my heart that he is gonna do another show." MTV News gauged fan reactions to the dismissals of O'Day and Woods. Fans left impassioned, long and detailed comments on the MTV News site about their discontent regarding the decision to remove the two singers, and relayed that the remaining members were using the breakup to "score" publicity. Richard, in particular, received resentment from fans. Other fans were more upset about the breakup in general, with the sentiment that Danity Kane would lack the individuality (

je ne sais quoi Many words in the English vocabulary are of French origin, most coming from the Anglo-Norman language, Anglo-Norman spoken by the upper classes in England for several hundred years after the Norman conquest of England, Norman Conquest, before ...

) and excitement that O'Day and Woods brought to the group. Despite, however, the dismissals of O'Day and Woods, other sections of the fandom were willing to give the "new Danity Kane" a chance and believed that the group would be as strong as they were before.

2008–2009: Disbandment

In mid-2008, before the departure of O'Day and Woods, Danity Kane planned to start pre-production for their third studio album, which would have begun January 2009. In the meantime, Danity Kane released a line of denim jeans through Dollhouse. Under

Russell Simmons Russell Wendell Simmons (born October 4, 1957) is an American entrepreneur, writer and record executive. He co-founded the hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings, and created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and Tantris. Simmons' ...

Plastic Cash International, the decision was made to feature Danity Kane's image on

Visa Visa most commonly refers to: *Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allows ...

debit cards A debit card, also known as a check card or bank card is a payment card that can be used in place of cash to make purchases. The term ''plastic card'' includes the above and as an identity document. These are similar to a credit card, but unl ...

. The group had also been a part of a new

ad campaign An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication (IMC). An IMC is a platform in which a group of people can group their ideas, beliefs, and conce ...

for

PETA Peta or PETA may refer to: Acronym * Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943 * People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization * People Eating Tasty Animals, an ...

(People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). Collectively, as a group, there were plans for a fragrance, clothing and makeup line. Richard had developed a comic book based on the superhero the group based its name on, which was intended for release sometime in 2009. However, in a January 28, 2009, interview with MTV News, Richard announced that the group had split up. Richard explained that Combs had invited all the women to come back to the 2009 season of ''Making the Band'' and that only two of them, Richard and Fimbres, showed up. "It changes ur situationcompletely", she said. "We have fans out there who love Danity Kane. We love Danity Kane. It's hard. We're sitting here trying to make sense of it now. It's hard. We're put in this position that we didn't ask to be in and we're being told to fix it." On the series and in an earlier interview, Bex had explicitly stated her discontent about Danity Kane being divided. "I don't know why ex left, said Richard. "I think she's just happy. I don't want to even try to answer it 'cause that's not fair to her. I haven't poken to herbut I heard she's doing well with her husband and she got a house. I love her, but I don't know." Richard was surprised that only two members showed up for another season. "The thing about it ... I thought we were all going to come back and talk, or maybe if 'Daydidn't come back, 'cause I don't know how ombswas feeling about that, if the four of us got together. I didn't know what to expect. I just know I got off the plane and found out I was the only one there and imbrescame the next day." Still in disbelief over the departures of O'Day and Woods, as well as the speculation about O'Day's sexuality and her forthcoming ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

'' spread, Richard stated, "I'm still surprised at it all. I'm still trying to recover from the first fire. So I'm still confused. I still don't know. I'm just being so honest. I have no idea." On February 25, 2009, O'Day told MTV News that she was not sure if Woods had been asked back for the new season of ''Making the Band'', as far as she knew, but that she herself was not asked to return. "Well, I was fired and we all saw that", she said. "I'm not sure about the other girls — who was invited back or what they were asked to do — but I obviously wouldn't be invited back if I was fired." O'Day conveyed her hope that fans continue to honor the group that "made her a star". "Danity Kane was a wonderful group, and like all things, nothing is forever", she said. "We had a great run and we were very successful. We may not have that answer for our fans, which is disappointing, but we did try, and that's more than a lot of people." O'Day said that though she is pursuing her own career as a solo artist, she would never turn down the chance to get onstage with her former bandmates. "I have so much respect for that situation, if there was ever interest in me coming back ... and making music with the girls, I would never say no to something like that", she said. "In regards to the other negativity, I really just chose not to comment", said O'Day. "I wrote a blog on my MySpace page, and if anyone wants to know how I feel, they can go there." O'Day later seemed to have more of a positive feeling about the whole situation. She stated, "After being kicked out, I learned you have to fight to stay happy, and that takes forgiveness of yourself." Viewers were able to see the band's continued demise on the third season of ''Making the Band 4'', which premiered on February 12, 2009. During the February 26, 2009, episode, as well as the continued season, viewers saw Richard and Fimbres eager to continue being a group together and hoping to work with Bex again. This eagerness eventually ended in the April 16, 2009, airing. Within the first five minutes of the episode, Combs told Richard and Fimbres during a meeting that he released O'Day and Woods, along with Bex, from their contracts, and would be releasing Fimbres as well. He told Richard that she will remain on the label and that if there are any future plans for a new Danity Kane, she would be the only returning member.''

'', ''

'' (April 16, 2009). Retrieved on April 16, 2009. On April 23, 2009, viewers were expecting to see all five members of Danity Kane for the second part of the finale to find out if Danity Kane would without a doubt be removed from the Bad Boy label or if they would have a "fresh start" as Combs stated in the first part of the finale. During the finale, Fimbres did not show up.''

'', ''

'' (April 23, 2009). Retrieved on April 23, 2009. Bex explained that Fimbres did not show up because Fimbres "had been through enough" emotional turmoil with the group and wanted to stay home with family. As for herself not showing up for the 2009 season of ''Making the Band'', Bex said that it was a "personal choice" and was nothing against the fans. Woods said that part of the reason for the group's demise was due to not having a "sound foundation" when it began (five strangers being put together and expected to be emotionally close) and that eventually led to professional and personal problems with the group. O'Day said she has forgiven being released from the group, and people who blamed her for the group's breakup. When asked if Danity Kane could be a group again, O'Day said yes. Woods and Bex said not at this time. Combs said that they need a "time out" for now, particularly to work on their solo or alternative careers, and that he will not reunite Danity Kane unless the group consists of all five original members. On April 30, 2009, a special titled "The Rise and Fall of Danity Kane" aired on MTV. The special was an in-depth story showcasing how the group came together and broke apart. It reasoned that the breakup of friendships and new friendships built in place of old friendships (O'Day and Fimbres becoming distant; O'Day bonding more with Woods and Fimbres bonding more with Bex), as well as insecurity issues of each member, were contributing factors for the group's demise. In addition, everyone except for Bex was speculated as having been part of the blame.

2013–2014: Reunion, ''DK3'', and second disbandment

In May 2013, O'Day, Bex, Richard and Fimbres began talks about a possible reunion and have since then posted photos of the group in the recording studio. An announcement with regard to their reunion was made at the 2013 Video Music Awards on MTV. During the 2013 MTV VMAs pre-show, the four remaining members of Danity Kane announced that they were reuniting, returning on their own terms without Diddy. They announced that a single would be released soon titled "Rage", produced by The Stereotypes, the same producers who were responsible for Danity Kane's biggest single to date, "Damaged". Original group member D. Woods did not take part in the reunion. Although no reason was given for the absence, she has stated: "It has been brought to my attention that my former group members of Danity Kane will be reuniting and while I will not be a part of the reunion, I wish the ladies blessings and much success on their endeavors." The band had their first performance in more than five years on September 21, 2013, at

iHeartRadio iHeartRadio (often shortened to just "iHeart") is an American freemium broadcast, podcast and radio streaming Computing platform, platform owned by iHeartMedia. It was founded in August 2008. , iHeartRadio was functioning as the national umbr ...

Music Festival's Village in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

and performed an a cappella version of "Damaged". They confirmed in an interview that they were working with

James Fauntleroy James Edward Fauntleroy II (born May 16, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Inglewood, California. He is best known for writing credits on tracks by high-profile artists such as Travis Scott, Frank Ocean, Kendrick ...

Dem Jointz Dwayne Allen Abernathy Jr. (born July 17, 1976), better known by his stage name Dem Jointz, is an American record producer. He has produced tracks for numerous artists including Rihanna, Anderson .Paak, and NCT, among others. He also co-prod ...

Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...

, Da Internz, and

The Stereotypes The Stereotypes are a production team created in 2003, comprising Jonathan Yip, Ray Romulus, Jeremy Reeves and Ray Charles McCullough II. In June 2010, they were listed among the "Top 10 Songwriters and Producers to Watch" in ''Billboard'' magazi ...

for the new album, which is set to be released in 2014. They had their first reunion concert in December 2013 at The House of Blues in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

after canceling a show with Chris Brown due to his arrest. In January 2014, a song titled "Bye Baby", which was also produced by the Stereotypes, was

leaked A leak is a way (usually an opening) for fluid to escape a container or fluid-containing system, such as a tank or a ship's hull, through which the contents of the container can escape or outside matter can enter the container. Leaks are usuall ...

online. They have been making many appearances since and have been hinting of doing another reality show along with their tour and new album. On March 15, 2014, Danity Kane performed their second concert since reuniting at Fort Cheyenne in Las Vegas, performing the leaked new track "Bye Baby", chart-topping hits, and fan favorites. On March 24, 2014, it was announced that the group would be hitting the road in May to begin their new tour entitled "No Filter". The group will be touring 13 different cities beginning in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

on May 16, 2014. On May 15, 2014, the band's first official reunion single, "Lemonade", was released on the Internet via

SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...

. The single was produced by

, and features rapper

Tyga Michael Ray Nguyen-StevensonMicheal Ray Stevenson ...

over a production sampled from "

Grindin' "Grindin'" is the debut single from Virginia Beach rap duo Clipse. The song was produced by The Neptunes, and featured on the Clipse's debut album, ''Lord Willin. The song became a summer Top 40 hit, reaching number 30 on the ''Billboard'' H ...

", the 2002 hit song by

Clipse Clipse, also known as The Clipse, is an American hip hop duo, chiefly active from 1994 to 2010. It consists of brothers Gene "No Malice" and Terrence "Pusha T" Thornton. Pusha T was known as Terrar during the group's early years, while No Mal ...

. On May 16, 2014, on the first night of their #NOFilter Tour at

The Fillmore The Fillmore is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California. Built in 1912 and originally named the Majestic Hall, it became the Fillmore Auditorium in 1954. It is in Western Addition, on the edge of the Fillmore District and Upper Fil ...

in San Francisco, after performing several songs with Danity Kane, Fimbres announced that she would be leaving the group at the end of their tour, and O'Day, Bex, and Richard would be continuing on as a trio. On May 28, 2014, "Lemonade" was released for purchase on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

, and on May 29, 2014, a lyric video for the song featuring three child impersonations of the trio was released to

Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

. On August 4, 2014, while in a Los Angeles recording studio, a fight ensued in which Richard allegedly punched O'Day. After days of speculation, O'Day and Bex released a public statement on August 8 announcing the group's second disbandment. On September 24, 2014, O'Day and Bex announced that despite the group's break-up, their third album, ''

'', would be released on October 28, 2014. Following the group's break-up, Bex and O'Day began to release music under the name

, while Richard continued to pursue her solo career.

2018–2020: Second reunion

In August 2018, Bex, O'Day and Richard announced ''The Universe Is Undefeated Tour'', with O'Day and Richard stating that they had made amends. The set list for the tour would be split into three parts. The first part to focus on promoting the sophomore material from Bex and O'Day's duo,

, followed by a second part showcasing Richard's solo efforts, while the finale part would include songs by the group. In January 2019 during their tour stop in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

and a few weeks later on Instagram, O'Day announced that Danity Kane would work on new music. After touring for close to a year performing Danity Kane's, Dumblonde's and Richard's solo music, the trio released a new song under the Danity Kane

moniker A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

called "Neon Lights" on June 24, 2019. To promote the new single, Danity Kane had a two day interactive event, entitled "Choose Your Own Adventure", where fans decided which songs they performed for the first half of the show. In 2020, Danity Kane released an EP entitled ''Strawberry Milk'' containing two singles: "Fly" and "Boy Down". Although the track was released under Danity Kane, the EP is also promoted as Aubrey X Dawn. On Instagram Live, O'Day addressed Bex's absence from the group. She stated "Shan is building a company right now called Vooks." O'Day said, "Danity Kane is so much bigger than five girls. It can be one girl, it can be two, it can be five. It's a voice for women and you got two of us right now giving you that voice and who knows what the future will have ahead of us. Things can evolve, things move in different directions. Everyone is always invited back." On March 19, 2020, Danity Kane released their third single as a duo entitled, "New Kings".

Discography

;Studio albums * ''

Danity Kane Danity Kane was an American girl group whose original and most well-known lineup comprised Aubrey O'Day, Aundrea Fimbres, Dawn Richard, Shannon Bex, and Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgett. Its most recent iteration included O'Day and Richard as a duo ...

'' (2006) * ''

'' (2008) * ''

'' (2014)

Tours

Headlining * Jingle Ball Tour (2006) * Making the Band 4 – The Tour (2008) * #NoFilterTour (2014) * The Universe Is Undefeated Tour (2018–19) Supporting act *

Never Gone Tour The Never Gone Tour is the sixth headlining concert tour by American boy band, the Backstreet Boys. The tour was launched in support of their fifth studio album, '' Never Gone'' (2005). It is the last BSB tour with all five members of the group, ...

(2005) *

The Monkey Business Tour The Monkey Business Tour was the second concert tour by American hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo (rapper) ...

(2006) *

(2006–07)

Members

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*
Aubrey O'Day website
{{Authority control Participants in American reality television series Singing talent show winners Bad Boy Records artists American pop music groups American contemporary R&B musical groups American girl groups American pop girl groups Musical groups established in 2005 Musical groups disestablished in 2009 Musical groups reestablished in 2013 Musical groups disestablished in 2014 Musical groups reestablished in 2018 Musical quintets