Nicole Scherzinger cried herself to sleep every night after her home state of Hawaii was ravaged by wildfires.
The 45-year-old Pussycat Dolls star – who was born in Hawaii’s capital city of Honolulu, but raised in Kentucky from the age of six – was heartbroken to see the devastation on the island of Maui where at least 97 people died after strong winds fanned the flames and led to widespread destruction over three days in August.
“I saw it on the news, but it wasn’t until I spoke to my family that the reality sank in. I cried myself to sleep every night. It’s a catastrophe. We lost 97 people and dozens more are still missing, which is devastating. But it’s also infuriating to see companies trying to buy the land the day after, having no respect for humanity. So there are mixed emotions,” Scherzinger said in an interview with The Guardian newspaper.
Scherzinger is currently working in London after landing a role in the West End revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, but she is staying in close contact with her family in Hawaii and doing what she can to help.
“This job is full-on, six days a week, but my heart is there. Every night I stay informed, keep connected with my family and do what I can back home,” she said.
Scherzinger recently revealed she’s keen to reconnect with her Hawaiian heritage and has been learning how to perform a traditional chant. “I am returning to my Hawaiian roots, reconnecting with my elders and the elements, by learning how to Hawaiian chant with my family,” Scherzinger revealed to Clara Amfo at the Magnum Boundless Creativity in Music Panel in Cannes, France,
The “Right There” hitmaker is also hoping to collaborate with Bruno Mars, who was born in Honolulu in 1985, because she believes they could “create something beautiful” by joining forces.
“I would love to collaborate with Bruno Mars. We’re both from Hawaii so we could really lean into our shared heritage and create something beautiful. “I believe that it’s important not to limit yourself and I always strive to push boundaries,” she added.
