'X Factor' judge and former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger was nearly carjacked by gun-wielding gangsters in Mexico while she was visiting the country to shoot her video for 'Try With Me.'

What a year it's been for Scherzinger! She broke up with her long term boyfriend, received a ton of backlash for her decision to deadlock, pushed back her own album and waved off a potential stalker. However, this scary run-in takes the cake in terms of shock and drama.

Scherzinger and choreographer Brian Friedman were held at gunpoint on their way to the 'Try With Me' video's remote set in the mountains of the Xilitla rain forest. Friedman spoke to British magazine the Star [via the Daily Mail], saying, "We were held at gunpoint. People next to our cars ... there were M16s and Berettas!" For those of you unfamiliar with automatic weapons, those are, essentially, big, scary machine guns.

Luckily, Scherzinger's camp did their homework and planned ahead. Knowing that the locale was a dangerous one known for carjackings, Simon Cowell's punching bag was riding in a bulletproof SUV. Phew!

Naturally, despite the precautions, Scherzinger and her choreographer got a good scare from the incident. "Nicole cursed me with this trip," Friedman told the Star. "It was the craziest adventure ever!"

On the bright side, the video turned out stunning. The scenery was so gorgeous that it almost didn't look real. However, we wouldn't be surprised if next time she opts for CGI -- and her safety!

Update: As of Dec. 16, sources told Perez Hilton that "there was no local gang, but merely a car in their fleet was pulled over by authorities, who of course, were armed, but at no point did law enforcement ever point a weapon at anyone."

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