Jesy Nelson has left wildly successful UK girl group Little Mix. The 29-year-old has not taken part in recent promo efforts for Confetti due to mental health issues. Today (December 14), she made the decision to leave permanently. “The past nine years in Little Mix has been the most incredible time of my life,” the singer began a length post on social media. “We have achieved things I never thought possible… I can’t thank you all enough from the bottom of my heart for making me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.”
“The truth is recently being in the band has really taken a toll on my mental health,” Jesy explained. “I find the constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations very hard.” That ultimately resulted in her departure. “After much consideration and with a heavy heart, I’m announcing I’m leaving Little Mix,” she continued. “I need to spend some time with the people I love, doing things that make me happy. I’m ready to embark on a new chapter in my life — I’m not sure what it’s going to look like right now, but I hope you’ll still be there to support me.”
There is no bad blood, however. “I want to say thank you to Jade, Perrie and Leigh-Anne for creating some of the most amazing memories I’ll never forget,” the hitmaker emphasized. “I hope that you’ll continue to fulfill all of your dreams and keep on making music that people love.” Little Mix was quick to respond. “After an amazing 9 years together Jesy has made the decision to leave Little Mix,” they tweeted. “This is an incredibly sad time for all of us but we are fully supportive of Jesy.”
“We love her very much and agree that it is so important that she does what is right for her mental health and well-being,” the group continued. “We are still very much enjoying our Little Mix journey and the 3 of us are not ready for it to be over. We know that Jesy leaving the group is going to be really upsetting news for our fans. We love you guys so much and are so grateful for your loyalty and continued support of all of us.” Read Jesy’s announcement in full and Little Mix’s followup below.
Jesy’s announcement:
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After an amazing 9 years together Jesy has made the decision to leave Little Mix. This is an incredibly sad time for all of us but we are fully supportive of Jesy.
— Little Mix (@LittleMix) December 14, 2020
We know that Jesy leaving the group is going to be really upsetting news for our fans. We love you guys so much and are so grateful for your loyalty and continued support of all of us.
— Little Mix (@LittleMix) December 14, 2020