What happened to Taio Cruz – from links to Cheryl to TikTok bullying
TAIO Cruz rocketed into the spotlight in 2009 yet had slipped off the mainstream radar until a controversial TikTok "bullying" saga left him feeling "suicidal."
The Dynamite hitmaker, now 42, found fame with catchy tracks which also included Break Your Heart after the release of his debut album, Departure.
In his music heyday, the Londoner collaborated with the likes of Kylie Minogue as well as writing for artists including JLS, Cheryl, The Wanted and The Saturdays.
Yet he hasn't released his own new music since 2019, when he teamed up with Wonder Stereo for track, Time For You.
Instead, he has juggled music with a fashion line - promoted by Girls Aloud star Cheryl - and a presence on social media.
The Troublemaker vocalist saw things take a tricky turn after the launch of his fashion and accessories brand, Rokstarr.
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At the time, he said: "There's a load of US celebrities that are all rocking the sunglasses already -Kid Cudi, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West…
"Then in the UK, we have The Saturdays, JLS, Daniel Merriweather -who've all been twittering and writing on their blogs about how much they love them. So yeah, it's definitely my new album 'Rokstarr' and the fashion brand that are my two main focuses at the moment.”
Yet things soon lost their sparkle after a re-brand in 2012, where the firm was dubbed RXTR.
After a successful stint in Selfridges the company's page has not been updated since 2015, and is re-directed to Taio's website.
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The toughest period for the star came just two years ago when he called out "bullying" on TikTok.
He candidly told how some of the comments from cruel incessant online trolls left him feeling "suicidal."
In a hugely emotional message posted to his platform he confessed: "Never in my life have I had a more negative experience than the past few days on here.”
"My body was shaking and I had suicidal thoughts. I pride myself on being mentally resilient so the fact that I felt that way, shocked even me… Some users posted hateful, mocking videos which spurred a feedback loop of negativity, where more and more people began to join in on the mockery and hate."
He added: "My intention was to make some fun videos and interact with my fans, but some, whom I won't mention, were averse to that.
"For my own mental health, I would rather be where I'm welcomed, for now, TikTok is not that place.
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"Social media shouldn't be like this, sadly it is.”
At the same time, he deleted the entirety of his posts on Twitter and Instagram.
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