Lauren Bennett

Biography

Lauren Diane Bennett-Wormald (23 June 1989 – 29 May 2026) was an English singer from Meopham, Kent. She was a member of Paradiso Girls, who were known for the song "Patron Tequila", and G.R.L., who were featured on Pitbull's "Wild Wild Love" and were known for their song "Ugly Heart". She was also featured on LMFAO's 2011 single "Party Rock Anthem", which peaked at number 1 in 20 countries including the US and the UK, becoming the second highest selling single of the 2010s in the US.

Biography

Lauren Diane Bennett-Wormald was born in Meopham, Kent, England, on 23 June 1989, and grew up in The Valley near Culverstone. She attended Meopham School and spent many years entering local talent contests and singing in pubs and bars, from age 14 as half of a group. In 2006, she appeared on The X Factor as part of the duo Fusion; the band got no further than bootcamp but did bring her to the attention of Robin Antin, prompting her to move to Los Angeles aged 17. She then joined Antin's girl group Paradiso Girls, whose 2009 single "Patron Tequila" featured Lil Jon and Eve and reached number 3 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart and number 82 on the Canadian Hot 100. She subsequently expressed her annoyance at not being able to legally drink at the time she was performing it with the band. The group disbanded in 2010, after their second single, "Who's My Bitch", was unsuccessful.
Bennett featured on CeeLo Green's "Love Gun" from his album The Lady Killer in 2010 and on LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" in 2011. The latter peaked at number one in 20 countries including the US and the UK and became the former's second highest selling single of the 2010s behind Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars's "Uptown Funk". Later that year, she released her debut solo single "I Wish I Wish" and joined The Pussycat Dolls, which she spent just over a year in and appeared in a fitness DVD for. The Pussycat Dolls changed its name to G.R.L. in early 2013, having spent a year swapping its members with Bennett, Paula Van Oppen, Natasha Slayton, Emmalyn Estrada, and Simone Battle; their debut song under that name, "Vacation", was featured on the soundtrack to The Smurfs 2.
In 2014, G.R.L. were featured on Pitbull's "Wild Wild Love" and released a self-titled EP, which included the single "Ugly Heart"; the first peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number 6 on the UK singles chart, while the last peaked at number 2 in Australia, number 11 in the UK, in the top five in New Zealand, and in the top 20 in several other countries. A further single, January 2015's "Lighthouse", was released in tribute to Battle, who had died by suicide in September 2014 at the age of 25, and was released as part of their Gives an Hour mental health campaign. Battle's suicide led to the group's disbandment in June 2015, although Bennett and Slayton reformed G.R.L. with Jazzy Mejia in 2016 and released the singles "Are We Good" and "Kiss Myself".
Bennett featured on Nick Martin's "Reality" and released the single "Hurricane" in 2016; the latter was inspired by Battle's suicide and by watching her mother struggle with their mental health. She then featured on Nervo and Savi's "Forever or Nothing×Forever Or Nothing25 November 2016 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Forever Or Nothing3:002Forever or Nothing (extended mix)3:50" and formed the folk, country, blues, and rock duo Bennett with her brother Ryan in 2017. She welcomed her first child with her partner Kenny Wormald, a daughter, in September 2019. G.R.L. toured until 2020, when Bennett and Slayton briefly reunited with Estrada and Van Oppen; Estrada stayed into 2021.
Bennett uploaded her final social media post in February 2026 - a cover of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" - and died in Meopham on 29 May 2026 at the age of 36; the latter was not widely reported until her former G.R.L. bandmates announced it on 6 July. Following the announcement, her father said that she had suffered a severe reaction to a prescribed medication five months earlier and TMZ said that her death was being investigated as a suicide. A coroner's inquest into her cause of death was scheduled for October 2026.