Louise Redknapp has been accused of betraying her Eternal bandmates, in a bitter row over trans rights.
Reports claimed the singer, 48, and Kelle Bryan, 48, pulled out of a reunion tour amid allegations two other members refused to play LGBTQ+ festivals and Pride events.
Louise’s publicist Simon Jones had said sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett would not perform some dates because the trans lobby had “hijacked” Pride.
But Eternal’s original manager Denis Ingoldsby – who now looks after Easther, 50, and Vernie, 52 – accused Louise’s management of misrepresenting an email from the “devastated” sisters.
He said: “Louise and her team have thrown them under the bus. The girls sent an email to Louise’s camp saying they loved playing Pride and they loved the ethos of the event.
“For her camp to go on the record suggesting they are homophobic is utterly outrageous.
“This is about the debate about the trans lobby and the erosion of the rights of women and children.
“Vernie said she had some concerns about the Pride movement being hijacked – and she is not alone.
“But this has now been weaponised against her, with Louise’s team trying to get her cancelled.
“The fact the statements by Louise’s team failed to acknowledge these concerns…once again shows how women are being excluded from the conversation.” Denis added there were no confirmed or contracted dates for the band’s reunion.
Simon earlier said: “A message was sent to the team putting together the Eternal reunion, stating that if it was to go ahead, neither Vernie nor Easther would perform at Pride shows or LGBTQ+ festivals. This was because the duo felt that the gay community was being hijacked by the trans community and they do not support this.
“Louise is a huge supporter and ally of the LGBTQ+ community and both herself and Kelle told the duo they would not work with anyone who held these views, and as such the reunion would not be going ahead.”
He added: “The team behind the proposed Eternal reunion are gay. Neither myself nor any of the team would work with artists who held such views about the trans community.”
Louise later posted a picture of the Progress Pride flag on social media, captioned Always & Forever – the
title of Eternal’s first album, released in 1993.
The group formed in 1992. Louise left the group in 1995 for a solo career and reached the Strictly final in 2016.
