Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, there were several girl groups and boy bands that earned success and notoriety, though many were short-lived after one or a few albums. The format of reality music competition shows also gained popularity, forming many pop groups. In 2005, Diddy formed the girl group Danity Kane on his Making The Band TV series, where several girls across the nation competed to become a part of the band. The group became a sensation and exceeded expectations with their 2006 self-titled debut album and its follow-up Welcome to the Dollhouse two years later.
Like many groups, inner turmoil and conflict arose, as well as disagreements with management, all of which led to members being kicked out and the group's ultimate 2009 breakup. Although the group has had highs and lows throughout their pre-breakup and reunions, Danity Kane built a large fan base and achieved commercial success, such as being the only girl group to have their first two albums top the Billboard 200 chart. Below is a list of what the members of Danity Kane and a few of Making The Band 3's contestants have been up to over the past few years.
7 Jasmine Burke Ventured Into Acting
Although Jasmine Burke wasn't selected to be a part of Danity Kane after her time on Making the Band, Jasmine Burke continued to stay active in the entertainment field by pursuing acting. She has appeared in several TV shows and movies since her Making The Band days came to an end.
In 2021, she achieved two leading roles in the films Karen and Entanglement. She also appears as a series regular on Saints & Sinners on the Bounce TV channel and had a recurring role on the Fox TV series Star, playing a salon employee of Queen Latifah's character.
6 Melissa Molinaro Tried To Become Part Of Another Girl Group And Became A Mom
A strong dancer and dedicated vocalist, Melissa Molinaro made it her goal to become a part of Diddy's new girl group but was ultimately not selected. This did not discourage her from pursuing music, as she was also a contestant on 2007's Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll, where she competed to become the newest member of the Pussycat Dolls before her elimination in the show's seventh episode.
Despite not making it into two girl groups, Molinaro continued to pursue an entertainment career, dabbling into commercials and acting. She got married in October 2016 and her wedding performance went viral, with over 29 million views as of January 2022. She is now a mother of two and is passionate about health and wellness.
5 Aundrea Fimbres Left The Spotlight For Good And Got Married
Despite being one of the strongest vocalists out of the contestants, Aundrea Fimbres' chances of joining the group were at risk due to her poor performance abilities on Making The Band 3's second season, though she quickly recovered and was later chosen to be a part of Danity Kane. She enjoyed the group's success throughout the eras of their first two studio albums, though was later released from her contract with Bad Boy Records when the group officially disbanded in early 2009.
In 2013, Fimbres was a part of the group's reunion. During that time, they began working on a new album, doing interviews, appearing at award shows and filming a reality show that wasn't picked up. All things were going according to plan until the opening night of their 2014 No Filter Tour in San Francisco, when Fimbres announced she would leave Danity Kane after the tour's conclusion to focus on the possibility of starting a family. Since then, she got married in the fall of 2014 and is a stepmother to her husband's daughter. She has remained low-key, preferring to live a private life.
4 D. Woods Didn't Join Group Reunions And Went Solo
A talented dancer and singer, Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgett made the group and appeared on their first two albums before getting dropped from Bad Boy Records and Danity Kane, alongside group member Aubrey O'Day in October 2008. Despite joining a show to become a part of a girl group, D. Woods claimed she always aspired to be a solo artist and had no desire to rejoin Danity Kane if a reunion were to happen.
When Danity Kane reunited in 2013, D. Woods was the only member to not rejoin, though she wished the girls success in their new endeavors as a quartet. She released a few mixtapes and extended plays, as well as appearing in a few plays in Atlanta. In 2019, she joined a new girl group named Project Girls Club, though no material has been released since the year of their formation.
3 Shannon Bex Continued Music Before Going A Different Path
Praised for her stage presence and dancing abilities, Shannon Bex was considered a strong contestant while competing to become a member of Diddy's new girl group. Furthermore, she was considered the mother of the contestants and eventual group members, as she was the oldest participant. She enjoyed success with the group until their 2009 breakup.
In 2012, Bex released a self-titled EP and joined Danity Kane's group reunion the following year. When the group disbanded for the second time, Bex and fellow member Aubrey O'Day formed their own dance-pop duo Dumblonde. Bex was a part of the group's second reunion and performed on their 2018 tour. She later decided to quit music in favor of starting a business with her brother, becoming the founders of Vooks, a streaming service for children's books.
2 Aubrey O'Day Continued Music And Ventured Into Reality TV
During her time on Making The Band, Aubrey O'Day was considered one of the strongest contestants, therefore it was no surprise she became the first to be selected as a member of Danity Kane. However, due to several disagreements between her and Diddy, she was kicked out of the group in late 2008. After Danity Kane reunited in 2013, the reunion was short-lived once her and member Dawn Richard reportedly got into a physical altercation. Years later, the two resolved their differences and jointly decided to tour together with Bex to promote Richard's solo music, Dumblonde's music, and perform Danity Kane songs.
Outside of Danity Kane, Aubrey O'Day pursued solo music and released her debut extended play Between Two Evils in 2013. O'Day has also participated in several reality shows, with the most recent being 2021's BET Presents: The Encore, where she and several other members of past girl groups attempt to form a supergroup and record an album together. She later left the show due to disagreements with other participants. In the summer of 2021, she announced she'd be leaving the United States, though did not specify what she would be pursuing out of the country.
1 Dawn Richard Is Now An Independent Solo Artist
After Danity Kane's first breakup, Dawn Richard remained the only member signed to Bad Boy Records, joining Diddy's short-lived group Diddy–Dirty Money. After being released from her contract, Richard decided to pursue her solo career independently. She has released five independent albums and four EPs, with the most recent being 2021's Second Line, where she got to promote the album through a performance on The Wendy Williams Show, a major feat for an independent artist. In January 2022, she announced she would perform at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, a major music festival in her hometown.
Richard has also pursued acting, starring in the 2018 films 5 Weddings and Kinky, as well as an episode of HBO's Insecure. Furthermore, she also works with the Adult Swim as a content creator, though announced in 2020 that she is now one of their creative consultants, aspiring to discover black animators and artists to contribute to the channel.
