Jesy Nelson has opened up about her decision to leave Little Mix, citing relentless online trolling and its impact on her mental health. In a new interview, the singer, who is now preparing to launch her solo career, described feeling that 'everybody hated me' during her time in the band.
Nelson, 30, first found fame as part of the girl group formed on The X Factor in 2011. She recalled the immediate cruelty she faced online, with comments comparing her to a rat or saying her face looked deformed. 'When you’ve never had any issues with your face and then realise people are saying these things about you… you think if everybody is saying it, it must be true,' she said.
The trolling intensified over the years, and in 2019 Nelson released a documentary, Odd One Out, detailing her struggles. Bandmate Jade Thirlwall described watching 'this amazing funny person become like a broken doll'. Nelson missed public appearances and was absent from parts of the Sweet Melody video before announcing her departure in December 2020.
Now, Nelson says she is happier than she has been in years and is focusing on music that reflects her own tastes, including old school R&B and hip-hop. 'I loved what we did in Little Mix, but it wasn’t necessarily music I would listen to myself,' she explained. Her new single is due for release soon.
