'I find the constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations very hard,' the singer admitted.
Jesy Nelson is leaving Little Mix after nine years with the girl group.
The 29-year-old singer announced the news in a lengthy statement shared to Instagram on Monday, revealing that the job has recently taken a toll on her mental health. The group, formed in 2011 during the British version of The X Factor, now consists of Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock.
"To all my Mixers. The past nine years in Little Mix has been the most incredible time of my life. We have achieved things I never thought possible," Nelson's statement began. "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."
"The truth is recently 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," she continued. "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."
Nelson shared that she needs to focus on spending "some time with the people I love, doing things that make me happy."
"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," she explained. "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, 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."
"Most of all, I want to say thank you to Jade, Perrie and Leigh-Anne for creating some of the most amazing memories I'll never forget," she added. "I hope that you'll continue to fulfill all of your dreams and keep on making music that people love."
Little Mix also announced the news on Monday in a message shared to social media. "After an amazing 9 years together Jesy has made the decision to leave Little Mix," the statement read. "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," the statement continued. "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."
The news comes a month after multiple outlets reported that Nelson would be taking an extended hiatus from the girl group due to private medical reasons. The Romford, U.K., native had already missed out on a few appearances with Little Mix, including the MTV Europe Music Awards on Nov. 8.
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