FORMER Destiny’s Child singer LeToya Luckett looks very different to her time in the iconic girl group.
The singer, who is now a solo artist, was axed from the group aged 18, shortly after the release of hit second album The Writing’s On The Wall.
LeToya Luckett looks very different to her Destiny’s Child daysCredit: Instagram
More than two decades on from her time in the band, LeToya has swapped her long hair for a much shorter ‘do.
It was a hit with fans, who complimented her platinum colouring as well as her ageless complexion.
One proclaimed: “Forget the hair, where’s the fountain of youth drops?”
LeToya, 42, and fellow former group member LaTavia Roberson, were axed in 1999 after falling foul of the group’s manager and bandmate Beyoncé Knowles’ dad Matthew.
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The pair wanted their own independent management after claiming it had become difficult communicating with Matthew.
The move created friction in the camp and the pair were unceremoniously dumped and replaced with Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin, who debuted in the Say My Name video.
The fallout led the deposed members to file a lawsuit against Knowles and bandmates Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé which was eventually settled out of court with the axed members receiving royalties.
As a member of the group, LeToya scored four top 10 singles including the hits Say My Name and Bills, Bills, Bills.
Her debut solo album wasn’t released until 2006 but that didn’t slow her momentum as it debuted at number one in America.
However, follow up albums Lady Love and Back 2 Life only had limited commercial success.
Despite her achievements in Destiny’s Child – LeToya won two Grammys with the group – she struggled financially after the exit.
She told fans on an Instagram Live in 2020: “I was staying at people’s houses… I slept in a car in LA while I was making my first album. Not a lot of nights, but a few.”
Still a teen, LeToya felt vulnerable outside of a group dynamic.
She told You I Know Got Soul: “Well first of all, of course I didn’t leave Destiny’s Child, it wasn’t my choice. Things just happened that way. But I know when I came out of that situation, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Being a solo artist was so far from my mind. I was terrified of the thought of being a solo artist because I was so comfortable being in a group. Even when the opportunity presented itself, I ran from it.”
LeToya needn’t have worried though as not only did she achieve chart success on her own terms, she’s also had a good career in TV and film with her latest credit the lead role in an upcoming biopic on Dionne Warwick.
The fashion focused star also has her own clothing line with designer J Bolin and recently trademarked her name so she can use it for various commercial interests.
LeToya, left, was axed from the group in 1999Credit: Getty
