Jesy Nelson Reveals That a Hospitalization Led Her to Leave Little Mix
Former Little Mix member Jesy Nelson revealed the exact reasons why she decided to leave the girl group.
Speaking to The Guardian about her departure from the band and the mental health struggles that led her to go solo, Nelson shared how lock-down impacted her decision to leave Little Mix. Calling the time spent at home during quarantine "the happiest I've ever been," the singer explained how in October 2020, she was told that the girls would be filming the music video for "Sweet Melody" in just two weeks.
Nelson shared that she had been eating whatever she wanted during the lock-down and gained some weight, and didn't want to appear in a bikini in the video.
Nelson shared she also suffered from a severe anxiety attack before a live performance on BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge — marking the first time that she experienced a panic attack due to a show. (Thankfully, member Perrie Edwards took over Nelson's solos for the performance.)
“I was having these panic attacks out of nowhere. I couldn’t understand what was happening. It got to the point where I thought, this is too much ... I need to come out of this now," she said.
Nelson eventually ended up filming the music video for "Sweet Melody," after which she had another panic attack. “After the video, I just got back in a really dark place and ended up back in hospital. That was when my mum said, ‘No more.’”
Leigh‑Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall and Edwards also approached the singer's mother and told her, "We think Jesy should come out of this now. She has to look after herself.”
Nelson said that her unhappiness over the years impacted her fellow Little Mix members, too. She added, "As much as I needed to come out of it for myself, I didn’t want to keep putting three other people through that as well.”
When she announced her departure from the group in March 2021, social media trolls speculated that she always planned on leaving the group. She clarified that when she left Little Mix, she was in no place to pursue a solo music career.
“What I’ve said about a million times is that I never said I’m coming out of the band to never be in the public eye again. I said I’m coming out of Little Mix because I could not deal with the pressure of being in a girl band, not that I can’t deal with the pressures of being in the spotlight or being famous," she explained.
Nelson speculated that the now three-piece girl group might take some time off as Edwards and Pinnock are both pregnant.
"I still love them to pieces. They were like my sisters,” Nelson continued, though when asked if she still keeps in touch with them, she admitted, “Not as much. Not now. I think we all need time. It’s a big thing that’s happened."
Little Mix will release their greatest hits 10th-anniversary album, Between Us, on Nov. 12.