Entertainment
Rebecca Ferguson claims she was treated like ‘rag doll’ by execs and fed ‘pills before bed’ at height of success: ‘They put me through hell’-Emily Bashforth-Entertainment – Metro
‘I really peeved off two people in the music industry who were able to hinder my career.’
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Former X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson has called for a crackdown on mistreatment in the music industry over recent years, and has now opened up about more alleged abuse she suffered at the hands of executives.
The singer finished as runner up on the ITV singing show in 2010, with One Direction in third and Matt Cardle taking the win.
Now 36, the Liverpudlian has detailed the fear she felt after she supposedly ‘peeved off’ two ‘major people’ in the music business, claiming her life was ‘hell’ while they controlled her.
Rebecca claims she was fed ‘pills before bed’ and told who she could and couldn’t date, adding that she became physically unwell at one stage.
She shared a series of videos on her TikTok account, speaking candidly about her time in the industry: ‘A few years ago I had an issue with two quite major people in the music industry and my life was a living hell from that day when I decided to stick up for myself and not take any BS.
‘My life in the music industry became hell and I’ve tried to speak out about it a lot.’
Rebecca claims she was given tablets to take before staff tucked her into bed at night (Picture: Getty)
While she didn’t name names of the individuals, she continued: ‘I really peeved off two people in the music industry who had quite a lot of power and influence, and were able to hinder my career.’
She added that one of her albums, Freedom (released in 2013) was ‘blocked in some international territories, and one of those territories was the US’, with the block only lifted a couple of years ago.
‘Certain tours were cancelled and certain promotional tours in the US were also cancelled. So basically I fell out with these people and it had a massive, massive effect on my career.’
Rebecca finished second on The X Factor 2010, with Matt Cardle taking first place (Picture: PA)
The mum-of-three became tearful as she continued: ‘I can honestly say that the past nine years of my life, although I’ve found happiness now, were torturous. I was petrified, I was so scared of these people.’
Rebecca said she was ‘unable to express what was happening’ because ‘no one understood.’
‘These people for years targeted me and literally put me through hell.’
The emotional star said ‘all I’ve ever wanted to be’ was a singer, as it was her ‘dream’ since she was a little girl.
The mum-of-three wants to ‘raise awareness’ of mistreatment in the music industry (Picture: Getty)
Breaking down, she said her career has been ‘amazing’ and she is ‘very grateful’ but ‘really wish that the experience that I’ve had could have been a lot nicer.’
‘But the things that have happened to me I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. It’s hard watching these people get away with it.’
Speaking about her romantic relationships, Rebecca claims security officers working with her were ‘threatened’ and warned that they had to ‘ruin’ her relationships, or lose their jobs.
Rebecca says she was told who she could date – the singer was in a relationship with Zayn Malik from 1D for four months (Picture: XposurePhotos.com)
She said ‘everything’ she did was ‘micromanaged’, saying people would literally ‘tuck her into bed’ at night.
‘I now honestly could not tell you, and this is the God’s honest truth, I could not tell you what I was being given, I don’t know. But I’d get given tablets and I’d get put to bed after I’d done all my work’, she said, adding that those higher up would ‘shout’ at her ‘like I was a child’.
Rebecca has started to be very vocal about her alleged experiences, saying she wants her fans to know ‘what’s happening to a lot of artists’, which she said led her to ‘complete mental and physical collapse’.
She thanked Sir Elton John after he and his team offered her support (Picture: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
‘The doctor was so worried about me but it didn’t stop me working and I was just about to do an interview with Rolling Stone magazine but the interview was cancelled. I collapsed in a lift and my head hit the floor’, she shared.
‘And then I had another interview and I collapsed, head hit the floor. I was unconscious. No ambulance was called for me, no ambulance.’
Rebecca went on to say she was later refused chances to fly by airlines unless she ‘returned to good health’, with execs supposedly urging her to ‘fake looking well’ so she could go home, treating her like a ‘rag doll’.
The soul singer referenced Britney Spears, who was freed from her 13-year conservatorship in November last year, saying she wants to ‘raise awareness’ while other artists are also speaking out.
Rebecca said she was ‘unable to express what was happening’ because ‘no one understood’ (Picture: Redferns/Getty)
Rebecca also name checked Sir Elton John, whom she reportedly became ‘really close’ to, as he and his team tried to help her ‘break free’ from the alleged abuse, but even he was ‘threatened’ because they supported her.
She added that she is not sharing her story for ‘more fame’, reminding people, ‘you don’t realise what’s going on behind the scenes’, such as ‘NDAs (non-disclosure agreements), bullying, and financial crippling’.
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‘When you try and speak out, they find ways to ridicule you, mock you, make you look stupid, make you look silly. Or they use their power, money and influence to bury the story.’
Rebecca went to the Metropolitan Police force in 2021 to report allegations of harassment and coercive control against a senior male industry figure.
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