Destiny's Child singer slams 'cruel' Beyonce

Singer Letoya Luckett was devastated after leaving r n'b group Destiny's Child - because she felt abandoned by her former bandmates.

Luckett, whose solo album Letoya debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 this summer, grew up with Destiny's Child stars Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland.

But she was left shocked when she and ex-group member Latavia Robertson were kicked out of the group without being formally told about it.

"None of the girls called up after I left the group," said Luckett. "What I missed most was the friendship Beyonce, Kelly and I had. We had met in elementary school so the hardest things were getting over birthday's and Christmases without them.

"I did call Beyonce on the New Years Eve of the new millennium. I told her I missed her, I loved her and that it was a hard time.

"She called me three days later and told me things were over with the group and they were all going solo.

"But then there was another Destiny's Child album after that so I don't know what happened."

It is not the first time Beyonce has been accused of cruelty - various animal rights groups have criticised the singer's endorsement of a clothing line that includes animal fur.