Leigh-Anne Pinnock has finally broken her silence about her highly publicized feud with former Little Mix bandmate Jesy Nelson.
The bad blood started in 2021 after leaked Instagram posts reportedly came from Leigh-Anne accusing Jesy, who had left the pop group last year, of “blackfishing” and appropriating black culture after darkening her skin and changed her hair for Boyz solo video.
Jesy’s associate Nicky Minaj, 40, later accused Leigh-Anne of only speaking out now that her former boyfriend was no longer helping the band make money. The rapper also accused her of trying to ruin Jesy’s new solo career before calling the rest of Little Mix “jealous, miserable clowns.”
Now Leigh-Anne, 31, has spoken out about the drama, which took place just weeks after she welcomed twins with now husband Andre Gray, 31.
Narrate British Vogue“I was in this huge drama on Twitter, maybe a month after giving birth, and one of the babies smiled at me for the first time.”
Outspoken: Leigh-Anne Pinnock, 31, has finally broken her silence about her highly publicized feud with former Little Mix bandmate Jesy Nelson
Bad Blood: The Bad Blood began in 2021 after Leigh-Anne leaked Instagram posts accusing Jesy of “blackfishing” and appropriating Black culture (LR) Little Mix, Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jesy Nelson in 2016
Then I said, “I was like, “Well, this puts everything into perspective, doesn’t it?”.
“All I had to do was put the phone down and it went away, because it’s not real.”
The group, also made up of Jade Thirlwall, 30, and Perrie Edwards, 29, previously confirmed they had spoken with Jesy, 31, about how she presented herself before leaving the band.
Jade told Stella magazine in 2021, “We don’t want to talk about the video or be critical, but one thing we’ll clarify in regards to the blackfishing situation is that Jesy was approached by the group in a very friendly, instructive way .’
Leigh-Anne added: “Harnessing aspects of blackness without having to endure the day-to-day realities of the black experience is problematic and harmful to people of color.
“We absolutely don’t think it’s okay to use harmful stereotypes. There is so much to say about that that it is difficult to summarize in a sound bite.’
It comes after Leigh-Anne said she felt “frustrated, sad and angry” about being “undervalued” during her time on the charts – which split in 2022.
The singer rose to fame in the girl group formed at The X Factor in 2011, but felt ‘overlooked’ by a ‘predominantly white’ fanbase and pop industry.
Controversy: Jesy’s debut single Boyz saw her dressing up in a series of suggestive ensembles while sporting a very tanned complexion
Double trouble: Jesy’s associate Nicky Minaj, 40 (right) later accused Leigh-Anne of only speaking out now that her former boyfriend was no longer helping the band monetize. The rapper also accused her of trying to ruin Jesy’s new solo career before calling the rest of Little Mix “jealous, miserable clowns.”
Happy family: Leigh-Anne said the unfolding drama took place weeks after she welcomed her twins and that her new family made her realize the shakeup was totally unimportant and put everything into perspective (pictured with her twins and now husband Andre Gray)
said Leigh-Anne in one in the same Fashion interview how, despite family and friends telling her to “just take the money,” she couldn’t accept the treatment.
The singer is now about to launch her solo career with her debut song Don’t Say Love – released on Friday – which helped her channel her “frustration, sadness and anger” about the situation she found herself in with Little Mix.
Despite her feelings, the musician admitted that being cast in the band during her stint on The X Factor was “the best thing that ever happened” as the group created a “long lasting legacy”.
Since the group broke up, the singer has dabbled in acting with small film roles while focusing on motherhood for her twins, who were born in August 2021.
Earlier this month, Leigh-Anne married her footballer fiancé Andre in a secret Jamaican wedding ceremony, exchanging vows in front of a select group of close friends and relatives, including Jade Thirlwall.
‘The pop industry is very white’: It comes after Leigh-Anne said she felt ‘frustrated, sad and angry’ at being ‘undervalued’ during her time on the charts – who split in 2022
Band members: The singer rose to fame in the girl group formed on The X Factor in 2011, but felt ‘overlooked’ by a ‘predominantly white’ fanbase and pop industry (pictured LR Jesy Nelson, Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall and Leigh-Anne in 2017)
The couple’s wedding has been postponed several times due to Covid, the FIFA World Cup and Leigh-Anne’s pregnancy.
he and Andre – who currently plays for Greek club Aris – have been together since 2016 and got engaged in May 2020 on their four-year anniversary.
Leigh-Anne has previously shared how she felt “lost and invisible” during her time on Little Mix.
In a BBC documentary about racism in the music industry in 2021, the singer admitted that she was under constant pressure to work harder in the group because she felt less popular than her bandmates.
Leigh-Anne even questioned her own position in Little Mix after fearing she was only placed in the group as “the token black girl.”
She said, “All these little feelings just built up, built up, built up. It was something I could never fully explain.
And you can’t pretend it’s not happening, feel invisible, feel like people are just looking past me…
All those questions. Constantly pushing myself to do better. I just wanted to be on the same level and nothing I did would get me there.”