Lauren Bennett, the British singer who appeared on LMFAO’s global chart-topper “Party Rock Anthem” and subsequently achieved recognition with the girl group G.R.L., has died at 37. Her former colleagues in the group announced her death on July 6, weeks after Kent Police responded to an address in Meopham, Kent, on Friday, May 29, following concerns for a person’s welfare. Officers attended alongside the South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAMB), and a woman in her 30s was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Kent Police stated that the death is not being treated as suspicious and that a report has been prepared for the coroner. No cause of death has been confirmed.
Bennett is survived by her six-year-old daughter, Harlow, born September 6, 2019, whose father is Kenny Wormald, known for his role in the film “Footloose.”
Bandmates Pay Heartbreaking Tribute
Former G.R.L. members Emmalyn Estrada, Natasha Slayton, and Paula van Oppen released a joint statement mourning their colleague. The band said, “It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our beloved Lauren.” The bandmates said her spirit touched many lives and that they will always treasure the memories she created. “Rest peacefully, sweet Lauren. You will always be in our hearts. Your GRLS, Em, Tash, and P.”
Pussycat Dolls member Jessica Sutta also paid tribute, describing Bennett as magnificent and praising her beauty, talent, and kindness.
A Career Built on Chart Success
Bennett began her professional career in 2007 when she was chosen from a field of more than 500 candidates to join the Paradiso Girls, a group created by Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin. The ensemble released its first single, “Patron,” in 2009, featuring Lil Jon and Eve, which resonated with audiences at clubs throughout the United States. After the Paradiso Girls ended in 2010, Bennett pursued solo work, teaming up with Will.i.am on “I Got It From My Mama” and drawing notice from some of the industry’s biggest names.
Her profile surged when she was featured on LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem,” which topped charts in the United Kingdom and became one of the era’s most recognizable pop tracks. Bennett’s vocals on the song solidified her position in the global music scene.
Antin brought Bennett into G.R.L. in 2012, envisioning the ensemble as a successor to the Pussycat Dolls. The group, which also featured Simone Battle, gained immediate traction. In June 2013, they released “Vacation,” was featured in the animated film “The Smurfs 2,” propelling the group to a global audience almost immediately. A collaboration with Pitbull on “Wild Wild Love” charted in the top 10 in the United Kingdom, and their track “Ugly Heart” received four platinum certifications, establishing G.R.L. as a major presence in the pop landscape.
Grief, Advocacy, and a Solo Return
The group’s momentum ended abruptly in September 2014 when Simone Battle died at her West Hollywood home at age 25. A coroner determined the death was a suicide. The tragedy deeply affected the surviving members and halted the group’s activities. G.R.L. officially ended in June 2015, though the members first released “Lighthouse” as a tribute to Battle and created GRL Gives an Hour, a mental health awareness initiative connected to the Give an Hour campaign.
Bennett resumed her solo work in 2016, releasing “Hurricane,” a song reflecting the grief and challenges of that time. Bennett wrote publicly that after watching her mother struggle with mental health challenges for years, she then lost a close friend to similar struggles. “After G.R.L. ended I had no idea what was going to happen next, everything fell apart pretty fast. That’s when this song was written,” she explained, framing the track as an attempt to convey both the experience of suffering and of witnessing someone else’s pain — a dual perspective drawn from lived experience. That willingness to speak candidly about mental health, reinforced by her advocacy work following Battle’s death, defined much of her public identity in her later career.
She was 37 years old.
