Little Mix Talked To Jesy Nelson About 'Blackfishing' Before Exit: 'Absolutely Not OK'

Little Mix members Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall and Perrie Edwards revealed that they discussed the topic of blackfishing with Jesy Nelson before she left the group to go solo.

Last month, Nelson was accused of blackfishing, or intentionally changing her appearance and style in order to appear Black or racially ambiguous, following the release of her debut solo music video, "Boyz" featuring Nicki Minaj.

Addressing Nelson and her recent blackfishing accusations, Pinnock, 30, told The Telegraph’s Stella Magazine, "Capitalising on aspects of blackness without having to endure the daily realities of the black experience is problematic and harmful to people of color. We think it's absolutely not OK to use harmful stereotypes. There's so much to say on that subject that it's hard to sum up in a sound bite."

Thirlwall, 28, added that "as a girl band coming from a show like 'The X Factor,' it always felt like there was this point to constantly prove." She also said that the group is hesitant to comment on the reported "feud" between them and Nelson.

"We don't really want to dwell, because we have so much to celebrate as a three," Thirlwall said.

The trio said they don't want to discuss Nelson's "Boyz" music video or criticize it but clarified that they approached their former bandmate regarding the topic of blackfishing in a "very friendly, educational manner."

Thirlwall noted that they spoke to Nelson about it before the latter announced that she was leaving the group in December 2020.

Following the release of her debut solo single "Boyz," Nelson faced criticism from Black social media users for allegedly tanning her skin darker and attempting to look biracial while singing about wanting a man who's "so hood, so good, so damn taboo" with "tattoos and them gold teeth."

Nelson later appeared on Instagram Live with Minaj — who defended her against the blackfishing accusations — and said that she never intended to offend anyone with her music video. She also denied getting a fake tan and insisted that she has naturally curly hair.

The 30-year-old British singer also claimed in an interview with Vulture that she never received this sort of backlash while she was still part of the group. "The whole time I was in Little Mix I never got any of that. And then I came out of [the band] and people all of a sudden were saying it," she told the outlet.

Nelson reiterated her love for Black culture and Black music, before adding, "I’m very aware that I’m a white British woman; I’ve never said that I wasn’t."

When asked about people of color calling her out for blackfishing in the comments of her Instagram posts and her blocking them, Nelson denied having any knowledge about it and pointed it out to her team.

Edwards, Pinnock and Thirlwall unfollowed Nelson on Instagram following the accusations.