26 September 2023 , 20:17
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Vernie Bennett has broken her silence amid the ongoing row between Eternal and Louise Redknapp.
It comes as Louise has been accused of 'throwing her bandmates under the bus' in a bitter row over Pride events. The Sunday Mirror reported that Louise and Kelle Bryan pulled out of an Eternal reunion tour amid allegations that the two other members Easther and Vernie Bennett refused to play LGBTQ festivals and Pride events over objections that the trans community had “hijacked” Pride.
Eternal’s original manager Denis Ingoldsby issued a passionate defence of sisters Easther and Vernie, who he now manages. He said they have been left 'devastated' and accused Louise’s team of misrepresenting details of a private email. However, Louise’s camp have said they reject Mr Ingoldsby’s claims and stand by their decision to go public on the dispute.
Amid the ongoing drama, Vernie has now broken her silence after taking to Instagram to share a statement which reads: "I am 'Eternally' grateful for the family, friends, and amazing fans who have and continue to support our incredible journey and artistry.
Eternal's Vernie Bennett breaks silence with cryptic statement amid Louise Redknapp row (Instagram/verniebennett)
Eternal members - Vernie Bennett, Kelle Bryan and Easther Bennett (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)"I've been blessed to connect with so many diverse and wonderful people from all walks of life during my career. You all have a piece of my heart. Though it is impossible and counterproductive to respond to the overwhelming number of statements and allegations made online recently, I place this moment in God's hands. I truly appreciate all who continue to express love and support for my family and Eternal."
Louise Redknapp shows off trim figure and abs in a crop top in pilates class
The statement comes after Eternal's manager Mr Ingoldsby claimed there were no confirmed, or contracted dates, in place for the reunion. This was firmly denied by Louise’s camp. And Mr Ingoldsby launched a furious attack on the conduct of Louise and her team for going public on the row.
“Louise and her team have thrown them under the bus and everyone is totally appalled at their bullying behaviour by totally misrepresenting the situation to suit their own agenda,” he said. “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 nothing about gay rights. The girls have played numerous LGBTQI venues their entire careers and have been inspired by the love and acceptance they have received.
“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 weaponized against her, with Louise’s team trying to get her cancelled. The fact that the public statements by Louise’s team conveniently failed to acknowledge these concerns...once again shows how women are being excluded from the conversation.”
Louise’s publicist Simon Jones, who had earlier issued a statement hitting out at Vernie and Easther, said they stood by all their comments. He said: “Denis Ingoldsby was not involved in the discussions about the Eternal reunion including all four members over the last two years. Easther and Vernie can try and dress this up however they wish. The fact remains that the duo said they would only do the Eternal reunion if no Pride or LGBTQ+ festivals were included.
“Louise would obviously not agree to excluding the LGBTQ+ community from their touring plans. We as a team absolutely do not agree with dividing the LGBTQ+ community or excluding trans people.”
Mr Jones had earlier told how Louise felt compelled to quit the tour. He said: “Louise is a huge supporter and ally of the LGBTQ+ community and both herself and Kéllé told the duo they would not work with anyone who held these views, and as such the reunion as a four would not be going ahead. The team behind the proposed Eternal reunion are gay including management, PR and tour promoter, and neither myself nor any of the team would work with artists who held such views about the trans community.”
Shortly afterwards, Louise posted a picture of the Progress Pride flag to her social media accounts. It was captioned “Always and Forever” - the title of Eternal’s first album.
The quartet formed in 1992. Always and Forever was the first album by a girl group to sell more than a million copies in the UK. They went on to have 14 top 15 UK hits and four top 10 albums. Redknapp left in 1995 to pursue a solo career. Any reunion would have been the first time the original line-up had played together since then.