LONDON: Former pussycat dolls star Jessica Sutta quit the group when she was left to fend for herself after breaking a rib on tour last summer (May09).

The pop star admits she put up with the misery of being part of what became Nicole Scherzinger's band, but opted to walk away after she found herself sleeping on a friend's sofa, desperate to get home.

In an exclusive interview, she tells Life & Style magazine, "It all started when I was injured on tour. They decided to send me home, and when I got to L.A., I was left to fend for myself. I didn't have a place to stay because I was on tour.

"Luckily, a girlfriend let me stay with her. I'm lying there, thinking, 'Wow, I'm an international pop star, and I just left this extravagant life, and here I am sleeping on someone's couch.'"

Sutta reveals that life as a Pussycat Doll wasn't all glamour and fame - she was made to feel like a second-class citizen.

She adds, "It wasn't a joyful experience... Nicole is a star, and she wanted to be treated like one. The Pussycat Dolls were Nicole's world, and everything that Nicole says goes.

"If you liked a certain top and Nicole liked it too, she would take the top. She's the star. We had to support her in every way. It was Nicole's world, and we were just living in it."

Dolls creator Robin Antin recently ended speculation about the group's future, assuring fans the all-girl band would continue after a hiatus but several of the singers would not be returning.

Sutta recently revealed she'd be among those leaving the group to embark on a solo career.