Why did Jesy Nelson leave Little Mix?
JESY Nelson shocked the music world when she announced she was leaving popular girl band Little Mix.
Since her departure, her relationships with the other band members has been strained, with her seemingly losing contact with them.
Why did Jesy Nelson leave Little Mix?
Jesy Nelson left Little Mix in 2020, revealing that nine years in the band had taken ‘a toll on her mental health’.
She initially said she was taking an extended break from the band, but just a month later, she left the group for good.
She said at the time: “The truth is, recently being in the band has really taken a toll on my mental health.
“I find the constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations very hard.”
She later told that anxiety over her weight brought her to breaking point.
She said: “There’s a scene in Sweet Melody I’m not in, because that’s when I had a panic attack and broke down. I was like,”I just want to go home.”
“I was sobbing in the dressing room. Someone really close to me said, “This has got to stop. You can’t keep doing this to yourself. You’re going to end up where you were before.”
She had been a member since they formed on The X Factor in 2011, alongside bandmates Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall.
But her relationship with the other three has been strained since she left.
In October 2021, Jesy confirmed that she and the band were ‘not talking any more’.
Following the release of the video for her first solo single Boyz, Nelson was accused of ‘blackfishing’, or pretending to be black or mixed-race.
The remaining members came out to say they had warned Nelson about the dangers of appropriating black culture while she was still in the group in an interview with .
Rapper Nicki Minaj, who collaborated with Nelson on the track, fired back, branding Leigh-Anne “jealous”.
What has Jesy Nelson done since leaving Little Mix?
The Sun broke the news on just how much Jesy Nelson was paid as part of her leaving Little Mix.
According to Companies House, she received a figure totalling £3m as part of the departure from the band.
The 31-year-old has since launched a solo career which began with a single called “Boyz” featuring Nicki Minaj.
She had signed a deal in 2021 with Polydor Records but in July 2022 it was announced that she had split with them after “creative differences”.
Her partnership with the label had lasted a mere 14 months.
It was reported in December 2022 that she had filmed the video to her latest single “Cried Out” but no release date has been mentioned since.
She also appeared in The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer on Channel 4.
Where are the members of Little Mix now?
Perrie Edwards
After the break-up of the band, Perrie Edwards announced her latest project Disora.
She said that it was to be “Luxury Fashion, Delivered Globally”.
The website is up and running and limited lines of fashion currently.
Edwards has teased fans with possible new music projects, working with Little Mix’s songwriter Kamille and Ed Sheeran‘s producer Steve Mac.
The teasers were in August 2022 but as yet she has not launched her solo career.
Leigh-Anne Pinnock
In February 2022, Leigh-Anne Pinnock was rumoured to have signed a record deal with Warner Records.
On social media platforms, such as Twitter, announcing that she is launching her solo career when she is ready.
She has yet to release any music.
Jade Thirlwell
Jade Thirlwell announced she had signed a solo deal with RCA Records in March 2022.
Although since then, she has yet to release any music.
She stays in contact with Perrie Edwards and both girls were sharing pictures of time they spent together catching up in California in February 2023.