Breaking! Fergie breaks out from Black Eyed Peas!

First the national anthem, and now THIS??1

In an interview with the Daily Starpublished on Sunday, will.i.am says Fergie will

NOT be featured on the Black Eyed Peas' seventh studio album.

The 42-year-old rapper explains:5

"We are now a trio. I don't know why Fergie isn't on the project. You will have to ask Fergie that."

When asked how the new line-up would work on tour, the producer defensively shot back by exclaiming:

"You know we are actually capable of doing it without Fergie… There's so much shit to talk about bro. But you guys just like meddling… We performed as a trio before and if you had done your research properly you would know how we would do it as a three."

Yikes! That question struck a nerve!

Last year, there were several rumors that Fergie was going to be replaced by Nicole Scherzinger. As we reported in June 2017, will.i.am said the Pussycat Dollsstar "is on the new BEP project" but didn't reveal her exact involvement.

While it's still unclear if Scherzinger is in the group, she is considered "family" and is a member of their WhatsApp message chain.

"We have a chat group called Black Eyed Peas family. It has nothing to do with making music or money. It's about friendship. It's the three of us and Nicole. It's about family. Nicole is Black Eyed Peas. She is family."

Oh, and don't ask him if PCD are coming back or not.

"Are Pussycat Dolls coming back? I speak to Nicole every day and she hasn't mentioned it. But anything Nicole asked me to do I would do it though. I love that girl."