‘I’d betrayed their trust’: Ex-Bardot star Chantelle Barry confesses to stealing money from Sophie Monk – and reveals what happened when she left the band
She was mysteriously booted from Bardot in 2001 after allegations she had stolen money from the girl band.
And almost two decades on, Chantelle Barry has finally opened up about the infamous incident.
Speaking to the Courier Mail on Tuesday, the 46-year-old singer confessed to stealing her bandmate Sophie Monk’s allowance of $100 which she’d left in an envelope in her room.
‘I’d betrayed the trust of the group’: Bardot singer Chantelle Barry (left) confessed to stealing money from her bandmate Sophie Monk (right) – and reveals what happened when she left the band
‘For so many years I hid from it. I was so ashamed. I did what I did and I never had a chance to give Sophie the money back. We weren’t allowed to see each other anymore,’ she told the publication.
Management offered Chantelle money and a solo deal to quit the group, which included a gagging order preventing her from speaking publicly about the theft.
‘I had to sign a release saying you can never admit it, you can never talk about it, here’s $1,000, you’re getting your own deal, be happy. So I’d done this horrible thing but now I have a solo deal,’ she said.
‘I was so ashamed’: She confessed to stealing her bandmate Sophie Monk’s allowance of $100 which she’d left in an envelope in her room
Chantelle said the negative experience, which she’d carried as a ‘shameful burden for many years’, had ultimately helped her grow as a person.
She said: ‘There was never real closure. I see it, I understand. But I did what was best for me and the girls [by leaving the band]. I’d betrayed the trust of the group.’
Four years after quitting Bardot, Chantelle bumped into Sophie when they were both at an audition in Los Angeles and they had a conversation.
It’s over: Chantelle went on to say that management offered her money and a solo deal to quit the group and she was quickly replaced with Tiffani Wood in 2001. Pictured (left to right): Katie Underwood, Sally Polihronas, Sophie, Tiffani and Belinda Chapple
Chantelle and Sophie formed Bardot with Katie Underwood, Belinda Chapple and Sally Polihronas after winning reality show Popstars in the year 2000.
She was quickly replaced by Tiffani Wood after being sacked for stealing.
The incident effectively sabotaged her career in Australia, and so Chantelle moved to LA in 2001. She later secured roles in 90210 and Entourage.
Moving on: Chantelle also revealed that she bumped into Sophie (pictured) when she was at an audition in Los Angeles years later