Jesy Nelson Opens Up About Twins' SMA Diagnosis and Little Mix Reconciliation
Former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson has revealed that all her former bandmates reached out to her after her twin daughters were diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy type 1 (SMA1). The 34-year-old artist made the emotional disclosure during an appearance on ITV's This Morning with hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary, where she discussed her new Prime Video documentary series, Life After Little Mix.
Heartbreaking Diagnosis and Band Support
Jesy's documentary follows her daily life, including her difficult pregnancy with daughters Ocean Jade and Story Monroe, during which she developed twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). The twins were later diagnosed with SMA1, a rare genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness. The diagnosis came when the twins were six months old, after Jesy's mother, Janice White, noticed they weren't moving their legs properly.
Despite the band's split in 2021 following Jesy's departure in 2020, former bandmates Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, and Perrie Edwards all contacted her after learning of the diagnosis. Jesy described this contact as "very healing" and noted that three of them are now mothers themselves.
"Three of us are mums now, we've all had time to heal, it's been nearly six years, and it's just one of those things that takes time," Jesy explained. "Since they've been reaching out it's definitely healed a part of me, for sure."
Reflections on Little Mix Departure and Mental Health Struggles
The singer also reflected on her departure from Little Mix, explaining that constant comparison and scrutiny had taken a toll on her mental health. "It wasn't that I didn't enjoy being in the band, it was the constant comparison and the scrutiny that I used to get," she said. "It was all the time and it never left me."
Jesy revealed she had attempted to take her own life just days before quitting the group, describing feeling "really alone" when she believed her bandmates ignored her cry for help. This was her second suicide attempt following an overdose in 2013, which she had previously discussed in her BBC documentary Jesy Nelson: Odd One Out.
She recalled a particularly painful moment when she tried to explain her feelings to the group: "I sat everyone down to explain how I was feeling and I remember one of the responses being, 'Are you done now? Is that it?' She was like, 'Can I go now?' That made me feel really alone."
New Purpose Through Motherhood
Jesy emphasized how her daughters have given her a new sense of purpose, making her previous struggles seem "trivial" in comparison. "The twins made me the person I always wanted to be, and it feels really deep but I feel like they've given me purpose," she told the This Morning hosts. "I don't regret anything in my life because it's all led me to my beautiful girls."
The singer encouraged viewers to watch her documentary, saying: "I'd like people to watch it, if anyone is going through something similar, doesn't even have to be exactly that, just going through a dark time, that it can and will get better."
Healthcare Concerns and SMA Awareness
Jesy also expressed frustration with healthcare professionals who visited her twins after their premature birth but failed to spot signs of SMA. "It took for my mum to spot the signs, and that's what's really worrying, because we had healthcare visitors come a lot and none of them spotted the signs," she said in a separate interview with Sky News.
The singer described the difficulty of recognizing symptoms when she had been told not to compare her premature babies' development to typical milestones. "I was constantly told before I left, 'Please don't compare your babies as they are never going to reach the same milestones as other babies' because they were premature," she explained.
Jesy expressed both sadness and anger about the situation, noting: "It makes me feel so sad because, great that people are starting to take notice and take it seriously but it never should have taken for me to come along to be taken seriously. This is a matter of life or death for someone's child."
Documentary Release and Future Reconciliation
Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix launched on Prime Video on February 13, offering an intimate look at the singer's journey through motherhood, health challenges, and her post-Little Mix career. When asked about potentially reuniting with her former bandmates, Jesy responded: "I really don't know. I see both sides. I see why they would be sad and hurt."
She added: "They reached out to me when I was pregnant, it was lovely because I never thought that would happen. We're grown women now, we've got kids, and I just think there are so many more important things in life. It's just one of those things that need to be put to bed now."
According to the NHS, spinal muscular atrophy is a rare genetic condition that causes muscle weakness that worsens over time, though treatments are available to manage symptoms. Jesy's documentary aims to raise awareness about the condition while sharing her personal story of resilience and healing.
