Little Mix Says Jesy Nelson's Blackfishing Scandal Is 'Harmful & Problematic'

Little Mix has a few things to say about their former band member, Jesy Nelson’s, recent “blackfishing” scandal.

This is the first time the girl group of three have spoken out about it.

“Blackfishing” is defined as “a form of cultural appropriation, whereby the person pretends to be black or mixed race. ... "Instead of appreciating black culture from the sidelines, there's this need to own it, to participate in it without wanting the full experience of blackness and the systemic discrimination that comes with it."

Celebrities such as Kim & Khloe Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Iggy Azalea have all been called out for "blackfishing."

Nelson was accused of “blackfishing” in her debut solo song and music video, “Boyz ft. Nicki Minaj.”

Leigh-Anne Pinnock seemingly called Nelson out for appropriating black culture in leaked messages.

Minaj fiercely defended Nelson and even came for Pinnock’s “jugular” on social media.

The Blast previously reported on all of the drama, check it out here.

In a brand-new interview with The Telegraph, the ladies of Little Mix opened up about their feelings toward Nelson, who left the group in December 2020.

Jade Thirlwall said, “Capitalizing on aspects of blackness without having to endure the daily realities of the Black experience is problematic and harmful to people of color.”

Nelson’s skin tone appeared much darker than normal, her lips fuller and was accused of using a “blaccent” in the song.

"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," Jade continued.

When asked to address the ongoing feud between them and Nelson, the trio asked to skip any questions pertaining to her.

"We don’t really want to dwell, because we have so much to celebrate as a three,” Jade said. “We’ve dealt with it in the best way we know how, and got each other through it. We don’t want to talk about the video, 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.”

This occurred while Nelson was still a part of the group.

Since leaving Little Mix, Nelson has been very vocal about how happy she’s been.

In an interview with CosmopolitanUK she said, “I didn’t know I could be this happy. I thought when I was in the group that it was just normal to feel that way. And because I’d felt like that for 10 years, I just thought, ‘This is real life.’ Since I’ve left, I feel free.”