Little Mix's Jesy Nelson leaves girl group: 'Being in the band has really taken a toll on my mental health'
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Jesy Nelson has left Little Mix after nine years with British pop group, which won the U.K. version of The X Factor.
The 29-year-old released a statement saying the pressure of being in the band had impacted her mental health.
After thanking fans for their support and describing her years in Little Mix as "the most incredible time of my life," Nelson explained that “the truth is, recently being in the band has really taken a toll on my mental health.”
She added, “I find the constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations very hard.
"There comes a time in life when we need to reinvest in taking care of ourselves rather than focusing on making other people happy, and I feel like now is the time to begin the process.
"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."
She went on to thank her former bandmates Jade Thirlwall, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Perrie Edwards for "creating some of the most amazing memories I'll never forget."
"I hope that you'll continue to fufil all of your dreams and keep making music that people love. Love Jesy," Nelson finished.
“After an amazing nine years together Jesy has made the decision to leave Little Mix,” a statement posted to the group’s social media read.
“This is an incredibly sad time for all of us but we are fully supportive of Jesy.”
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
Last month it was announced Nelson would be taking an “extended” hiatus from Little Mix for “private medical reasons.”
It came after she failed to appear alongside her bandmates at a number of engagements.
Nelson was absent from the live finale of the group's talent show, Little Mix: The Search, and from their hosting gig at the MTV Europe Music Awards the following day.
On Nov. 17, the foursome's publicist posted a statement to Twitter announcing that "Jesy is having extended time off from Little Mix for private medical reasons.
"We will not be issuing any further comment currently and ask media to please respect her privacy at this time."
Earlier this year, Nelson’s Odd One Out documentary won the Best Factual prize at the National Television Awards.
The BBC documentary focused on the cyberbullying Nelson had been subjected to and its effects on her mental health.
Little Mix released their sixth studio album, Confetti, in November.
The band are also slated to embark on a U.K. tour next April after initially postponing due to the coronavirus pandemic.
They were formed on The X Factor in 2011 after all four originally auditioned as solo artists, and were the first group to win the competition.
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
