TLC. (Handout)

TLC star Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins has opened up about the band's dark side - they once held famed record boss Clive Davis at gunpoint in a dispute over royalties.

The group disbanded following the death of Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes in 2002 but Watkins and Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas recently reunited for a charity show in Las Vegas ahead of an upcoming tour.

Watkins has now spoken about the band's past - admitting they once sunk so low, they resorted to violence in a bid to claim their fair share of the profits from their hugely successful 1994 album CrazySexyCool.

The singer claims the trio burst into a meeting between Davis and Sean 'Diddy' Combs, throwing the rapper out and threatening the record executive with guns.

She tells U.S. Talk show host Mo'Nique, "We held the record company, Clive Davis, hostage with guns. Guns with bullets. Because TLC had generated on CrazySexyCool $75 million and they gave us $50,000 a piece and I was like, 'What the hell!' So, of course Lisa was the ring leader. We had a limo driver, and he was the getaway car.

"We got up there and held everybody hostage and Puffy (Combs) was the one that snitched us out. He caught us because we kicked him out of the meeting. We interrupted Puffy's meeting. We were like, 'Sorry we really gotta handle this.' We were getting sick and sweating, really working hard for this money and wanted to know who the hell had our cheque. (Record executive L.A. Reid) said Clive did, so that's where we went."

The dispute ended peacefully and the music boss decided against pressing charges.

Watkins admits the incident didn't help resolve their issues over royalties - and she's just thankful the group didn't end up in jail.

She adds, "They did give us some money, but they still took it back and recouped it. You live and learn in the business - it worked out well, we didn't go to jail - thank God."