“The past nine years in Little Mix has been the most incredible time in my life,” Jesy Nelson began at the start of her Dec. 14 note announcing her departure from the band. “We have achieved things I never thought possible. From winning our first Brit Award to our sold-out shows at the O2. Making friends and fans all over the world. I can’t thank you all enough from the bottom of my heart for making me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. You have always been there to support and encourage me, and I will never ever forget it.”
Jesy’s announcement came less than a month after the 29-year-old took a “leave of absence” from the group. As to why she was leaving Little Mix, Jesy explained that “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. 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 that process. So, after much consideration and with a heavy heart, I’m announcing I’m leaving Little Mix.”
“I need to spend some time with the people I love, doing things that make me happy,” Jesy added. “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. I want to say thank you to everyone involved in our journey. All the hard work and dedication that went into making us a success.”
“To every single fan who came to see us in concert, who listened to our songs and sung their hearts out, [who] sent me messages and supported me along the way, I want you to know I love you all so much and I could never have done this without you, and I appreciate it endlessly.”
Jesy concluded her message with a shoutout to her former bandmates — Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock – for “creating some of the most amazing memories I’ll never forget. I hope that you’ll continue to fulfill all of your dreams and keep on making music that people love.”
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
Little Mix responded with love and support on Twitter. “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. 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. 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. We’re looking forward to seeing so many of you on tour. Love always, Jade, Perrie, and Leigh-Anne xxx.”