You remember the song. It starts with that acoustic guitar and the question everyone was singing in 2001: "What would you do if your son was at home, crying all alone on the bedroom floor, 'cause he's hungry?" It was gritty. It was real. And at the center of it all was City High Claudette Ortiz, the girl with the voice that felt like velvet and a look that basically defined the early 2000s aesthetic.
But then, almost as fast as they arrived, they were gone.
One Grammy nomination, a gold-selling debut album, and a couple of massive hits later, the trio vanished. People love to blame the "love triangle." They love to talk about the drama. Honestly, the real story of Claudette Ortiz is way more intense than just some group gossip. It involves a brush with the military, surviving homelessness, and a level of resilience most of us couldn't touch on our best days.
The Messy Reality Behind City High
The group didn't just happen by accident. Robbie Pardlo and Ryan Toby were already working together with Wyclef Jean at Booga Basement. They were originally going to be a duo called Wooga Booga—yeah, thank God they changed that name. Wyclef realized they needed a female energy to really pop. He brought in Claudette, who was just 16 at the time.
They were all kids from Willingboro, New Jersey.
The chemistry was undeniable, but the personal dynamics were a ticking time bomb. Claudette and Robbie dated back in high school before the group even blew up. By the time they were touring the world, that relationship had soured. Robbie later went on the show Intervention and claimed his downward spiral into alcoholism was fueled by seeing Claudette move on with their other group mate, Ryan Toby.
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Claudette tells it differently.
She’s been on the record saying Robbie had issues with addiction and volatility long before the group was even a thing. She didn't "jump" from one guy to the next for the hell of it; she was looking for stability. She eventually married Ryan in 2004, and they had two sons together. But that didn't save the group. The tension of working with an ex-boyfriend while being married to your other bandmate is a recipe for disaster. By 2003, City High was effectively over.
From "Caramel" to Social Services
For a few years, Claudette was the industry’s "feature" queen. You heard her on Wyclef’s "Two Wrongs." She was on the Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights soundtrack. She even did a track with Mase called "Can't Get Enough." But the solo album she was promised? It kept getting pushed back. Interscope eventually dropped her after she had her daughter, Bella.
Then things got dark. Kinda scary dark.
After her divorce from Ryan Toby in 2007, Claudette found herself alone with three kids and no steady income. The royalty checks for "What Would You Do?" weren't enough to keep the lights on in a world of predatory contracts. She’s spoken openly about being homeless, moving from place to place, and eventually having to walk into a social services office to apply for help.
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Can you imagine that?
Being a world-famous singer whose face was on every TV screen, standing in line at a government office, and having the caseworker recognize you. It’s the kind of ego-shattering moment that would break most people.
The Air Force and the Reality TV Lifeline
By 2013, Claudette was done with the music industry. She was literally days away from joining the U.S. Air Force Reserves. She needed health insurance. She needed a retirement plan. She needed to feed her kids.
Just as she was about to take the oath, producer Phil Thornton called her about a new show: R&B Divas: Los Angeles.
She took the risk. She moved her family to LA and joined the cast alongside Chante Moore and Michel'le. It wasn't the "comeback" of a chart-topping album, but it was a paycheck and a platform. It allowed her to clear the air about the rumors that had followed her for a decade. She wasn't the villain who broke up the band; she was a survivor who had been through domestic abuse and was just trying to keep her head above water.
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Where is Claudette Ortiz Now?
Fast forward to today, and Claudette has largely stepped back from the chaotic center of the limelight. She’s done some acting, appearing in Tyler Perry projects like If Loving You Is Wrong, but her primary focus has remained on her kids.
She's often asked about a City High reunion. Honestly? Don't hold your breath. While she and Ryan Toby have managed to co-parent peacefully, the wounds from the Robbie Pardlo era run deep.
So, what can we actually learn from her journey?
- Ownership is everything. Claudette has mentioned in interviews that the contracts they signed as teenagers weren't designed for long-term wealth. If you're a creator, read the fine print twice.
- Pivot before you drown. There is no shame in the Air Force or social services. She was willing to walk away from "fame" to provide for her family, which is the most "R&B Diva" move possible.
- Control your narrative. For years, the "love triangle" was the only story people knew. By stepping onto reality TV—as messy as that genre can be—she finally got to tell her side.
If you’re looking to support her today, your best bet is to keep streaming the classics. "Caramel" still hits just as hard in 2026 as it did in 2001. You can also follow her sporadically on social media, where she occasionally shares glimpses of her life in California, far away from the Jersey drama that started it all.
Next Steps for R&B Fans:
If you want to dive deeper into that era of music, you should look into the production credits of Jerry Wonda and Ryan Toby. Ryan actually went on to become a massive songwriter for artists like Usher and Justin Bieber, proving that while the group died, the talent definitely didn't.
Check out the "Caramel" remix video featuring Eve to see Claudette at the peak of her early 2000s influence. It’s a masterclass in R&B styling that still holds up.