Pop trio the The Cheetah Girls are to split at Christmas. The members of the beloved Disney group will go their separate ways in the New Year after completing their current "One World" tour on December 22, according to singer Kiely Williams.

The news comes just weeks after nude photos of bandmate Adrienne Bailon hit the Internet in an apparent publicity stunt gone wrong.

But Williams tells In Touch magazine, the scandal is not the reason the girls are breaking up.

She explains, "We always knew this tour would probably be our last. We were excited about going out on a high note, it's sad that this negative attention put a damper on that."

And she insists the trio will always be close: "I'll always be a Cheetah Girl. It's been a life-changing experience."

The group was created by Disney bosses for a film and TV series. Originally a quartet, actress Raven-Symone left the band in 2005 due to other commitments and they've been a trio ever since.

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)