Jesy Nelson has broken down in tears while revealing she has "always stayed quiet" about her time in Little Mix because she was the one who chose to leave the band. The emotional moment comes in a first look at her upcoming documentary, Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix, set for release on February 13 via Prime Video.
A Painful Silence Broken
In the trailer, Jesy is seen looking out at an empty stadium, reflecting on her career. "I have never spoken about this," she says. "I just always wanted to entertain people. It felt magical and then it very quickly isn't. I have just always stayed quiet because I was the one that left."
Jesy, alongside bandmates Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, and Perrie Edwards, rose to fame after winning The X Factor in 2011. However, after the victory, she faced severe online trolling about her appearance, which significantly impacted her mental health and ultimately led to her departure from the group in 2020.
The Weight of Unspoken Struggles
The documentary includes a montage of clips from her Little Mix days, showing Jesy in tears and sitting out of group dance practices. "I've really struggled keeping all of this in," she admits. "Now I'm ready to tell my side of the story."
Their former mentor, Tulisa Contostavlos, appears in the documentary, offering insight into Jesy's challenges. "When you want something so bad, you are always blind to the negatives," Tulisa remarks, highlighting the intense pressures of fame.
A Journey Through Motherhood and Medical Challenges
The documentary series also delves into what Jesy describes as the "most painful" time of her life: her journey to motherhood. It charts her high-risk pregnancy, including complications such as Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome, a rare and potentially life-threatening condition.
Scenes document the moment Jesy and her now ex-fiancé, Zion Foster, are told by a doctor that there is only a 5% chance their twin daughters will survive to birth. Despite their reported split, Zion has shown support for Jesy, sharing the trailer on Instagram and describing the project as "raw, authentic and honest."
A Heartbreaking Diagnosis
Earlier this month, Jesy revealed that her eight-month-old twin daughters, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe, have been diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 (SMA1). This is the most severe form of SMA, with symptoms typically appearing in infancy and including extreme muscle weakness, swallowing difficulties, and respiratory issues.
Jesy's mother, Janice, comments in the trailer after witnessing her daughter's terrifying pregnancy journey: "If something was to go wrong now. I dread to think what it would be like"—unaware of the diagnosis that would follow.
Advocacy and Moving Forward
In response to her daughters' condition, Jesy is now campaigning for SMA1 screening at birth. She has started a petition to get the condition added to the newborn blood spot screening test, commonly known as the heel prick test.
A synopsis for the documentary reads: "Expecting twins, Jesy opens up about the joy, vulnerability, and fear that comes with carrying two little lives. The series follows Jesy through the emotional rollercoaster of pregnancy complications... But this journey isn't just about motherhood; she needs to confront her past, too."
An Honest Reflection
Ahead of the release, Jesy told Amazon: "We opened the doors fully, and I'm really looking forward to letting you all in as I navigate my way to becoming a first-time mum to our beautiful baby girls, Ocean and Story. I'll be honest, it's not been easy as it's been such a high-risk pregnancy, so you'll see all the highs and lows and rollercoaster of emotions we have been going through."
She added, "I hope you will all join me on this journey as I really open up and say goodbye to the past and enter this new chapter in my life. I hope you love it as much as we do."
The documentary promises to be a candid exploration of Jesy's struggles with fame, mental health, and the controversies that followed her Little Mix exit, all while navigating the profound challenges of motherhood and medical adversity.
