Jade Thirlwall has opened up about the true extent of her heartache, following Jesy Nelson's exit from Little Mix. Jesy, 33, stepped away from the group after nine years back in December 2020, telling fans she could no longer cope with the pressures of being in a girl band.
Following her announcement, Jade, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Perrie Edwards continued as a trio for another year, before going on hiatus. Reflecting on Jesy's exit, Jade, 32, admitted that just over four years on, she is "still getting over" the "stressful time".
The It Girl hitmaker said she particularly struggled with how abrupt the departure was, particularly as they didn't discuss it as a band. "I think that's why I struggled with it because we didn't all get a chance to just sit together, like we've done so for so many years, to just hash it out.
"I just remember it was so hazy because all of us, all four of us I think, were traumatised by that whole experience," she shared on The Louis Theroux podcast. Jade additionally revealed that she, personally, and alongside Leigh-Anne and Perrie, sought therapy during the difficult time.
"We had a lot of group therapy. I had a lot of personal therapy and because the contact was so abruptly cut off, it was very hard to deal with and quite traumatic.". While the trio no longer speak to Jesy, Jade stressed that there is "no hate" from any of them and she doesn't begrudge her former bandmate for leaving.
