Casey Curry/Invision/APGirl group G.R.L., whose member Simone Battle committed suicide last September, has officially broken up.
Kemosabe Records, RCA Records, Larry Rudolph and Robin Antin released the following statement Tuesday to Billboard: "Nearly nine months following the tragic death of band member Simone Battle, girl group G.R.L. announces today that they are disbanding. We wish them continued success in each of their next creative endeavors."
G.R.L., originally a quintet, stayed together as a foursome in the wake of 25-year-old Simone's passing. In January 2015, the group's remaining members Paula Van Oppen, Lauren Bennett, Emmalyn Estrada and Natasha Slayton, debuted "Lighthouse," a music video tribute to Simone.
The clip featured home movies and footage of Simone in happier times throughout her life. Rudolph, G.R.L.'s manager, told Billboard about the decision to produce the video. "Everyone's initial instinct was to stay away from the idea of doing anything that might seem exploitative with respect to Simone," he said. "And then we started talking with her mother, Donna, who's a wonderful woman and obviously very distraught over the loss of her daughter. At the same time, she felt like she really wanted her daughter to be remembered, and didn't want her daughter's death to be in vain. She thought if there was something good that could come out of it, she'd like it to happen."
The group teamed up with the nonprofit Give an Hour and advocated for mental health awareness, using their platform to encourage anyone suffering to seek help.
"There's a lot of young people who are taking their own lives, and the music industry is so influential on youth," said G.R.L. member Lauren, 25. "Hopefully, for us, we would love to help at least one person."
Lauren said there "was never a question that we weren't going to break up" in the first months following Simone's death. "We didn't know what was going to happen—we really didn't even think about it," she recalled to Billboard in March. "We just got back together and just continued to do what we're doing today, to stay close, and that's just how it is."
In addition to releasing "Lighthouse," the foursome opened for the Australian leg of Meghan Trainor's That Bass Tour on Apr. 27-30.
This past Saturday, three days before G.R.L.'s official breakup announcement, Lauren tweeted: "Thank u all for ridin with GRL thru the tough times.. I know it's all a bit confusing but I love you all, and care never forget"
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).