This sisterhood wasn’t quite unbreakable…
Jesy Nelson has revealed she hasn’t spoken to her former bandmates Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jade Thirlwall since she quit Little Mix two years ago. Whoa!
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While speaking with The Sun on Monday, the 31-year-old got candid about her time in the girl group — and why she chose to leave:
“Being in a girl band, you are a machine going all the time. You don’t have a minute to breathe and take time out if you just need space. That was something I struggled with. For me my mental health issues were an ongoing thing while I was in Little Mix. I was struggling with my body issues, I was constantly being trolled — and I really, really struggled with it.”
Jesy previously spoke about her struggles with her mental health and body image, ultimately deciding to leave the band and focus on herself due to it. But now she’s also admitting she was “never prepared” for the fame she received:
“I was in it for nearly ten years. I think I was never prepared for what was to come. I didn’t have social media or any of that, I was just a barmaid working in Dagenham.”
The Wings singer went on to say she couldn’t fully enjoy her time in the band because she “needed support” she didn’t get while in the group:
“For me personally, by the end, I couldn’t enjoy the good parts and it’s a shame as I had the most amazing times in Little Mix, but I will say this always, your mental health is the most important thing and you only live once so sometimes you have to stop and look after yourself. I needed support and help to overcome that, and there wasn’t the time while I was in the band.”
So sad. Mental health should always the number one priority! We’re glad she made the right choice for herself. But does she blame the rest of Little Mix? Why not even a call or text? We can’t help but wonder if she’s saying something about not getting that support…
Ultimately, though, she doesn’t regret a thing about being in the group — even if she’s no longer cool with her former bandmates:
“I don’t have any regrets because I had to do what was right for me and I will always cherish the memories I had in Little Mix. So no, we haven’t talked since then. Never say never, but I honestly wish them the best on their solo journeys now, which is so exciting. I think that is what is so exciting about all of us. We are all musically different styles. I think we will all go in our own lane.”
If you don’t remember, Jesy got in some hot water when she was accused by a former bandmate of blackfishing. At the time, Leigh-Anne allegedly slammed Jesy for the use of a dark spray tan, fuller lips, and a “blaccent” in unverified leaked text messages. Jade also jumped in and condemned Jesy for “capitalising on aspects of blackness without having to endure the daily realities of the Black experience.”
After the controversy it was pretty clear their bond was broken. And it apparently has not been repaired since. However, Jesy maintains she doesn’t hold any negative feelings toward her former bandmates and even still calls them her “sisters” in interviews to this day:
“I am rooting for all of them. I honestly do wish them all the success as they are all crazy talented. Time has been about rebuilding myself, regaining my confidence, going to therapy and talking about it all openly.”
And rebuild herself she has — the Shout Out to my Ex songstress is happier than ever:
“I think whenever you are at a low point, you always think, do what makes you happy – and music is what makes me happy and that is all I want to do. There was a time where I thought, ‘Is it worth it?’ But I always come back to the fact that I love music so much. It is what makes me so happy.”
What do U think about Jesy’s distance from her former bandmates? Is there more to the story that she’s saying? Sound OFF in the comments (below)!
[Image via Little Mix/Glamour Magazine UK/YouTube]
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