The remaining three members of Little Mix – Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall and Leigh-Anne Pinnock – have spoken out about their fall out with former bandmate, Jesy Neslon, and said they tried to 'educate' her about Blackfishing in the past, something Jesy has been accused of following the launch of her solo career.
In a new interview with The Telegraph's Stella, when asked about where they stand following the highly publicised rift (which saw Jesy take part in an Instagram Live with rapper Nicki Minaj, who called the girl group 'jealous, miserable clowns'), the group refused to be drawn into specifics. However, their stance on Blackfishing – wherein a non-Black person adopts Black characteristics and even profits from Black culture – was clear.
"Capitalising on aspects of Blackness without having to endure the daily realities of the Black experience is problematic and harmful to people of colour," explained Jade. "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."
She then added, "We don’t really want to dwell [on what happened with Jesy], because we have so much to celebrate as a three."
Jade then shared that the group had previously tried to talk about Blackfishing with Jesy.
"We've dealt with it in the best way that we know how, and got each other through it. We don't want to talk about the video [for Jesy's solo debut, BOYZ], or be critical, but one thing we will clarify regarding the Blackfishing situation is that Jesy was approached by the group in a very friendly, educational manner."
During a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Jesy also addressed the situation and said she, Perrie, Leigh-Anne and Jade were no longer on speaking terms.
She told host Graham, "We're not talking any more. It is sad but honestly there is no bad blood from my side, and I still love them to pieces and genuinely wish them all the best."
Reflecting on her experience in the group, Jesy continued, "I loved my time with them, and we've got the most incredible memories together but it's just one of those things which needs to take time, so who knows."
Jesy also denied the Blackfishing accusations in an interview with Vulture, saying, "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. I wasn’t on social media around that time, so I let my team [deal with it], because that was when I’d just left.
"But I mean, like, I love Black culture. I love Black music. That’s all I know; it’s what I grew up on. I’m very aware that I’m a white British woman; I’ve never said that I wasn’t."
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
