Rak-Su star Myles Stephenson claims Jesy Nelson ‘saved her own life’ by quitting Little Mix

‘Who knows what could have happened’: Rak-Su star Myles Stephenson claims Jesy Nelson ‘saved her own life’ by quitting Little Mix

  • The singer confirmed her permanent departure from the hugely popular girl-group in December
  • Jesy admitted the pressure of being in the band for almost a decade had affected her mental health
  • Myles believes the online abuse that prompted her departure could have escalated had she stayed
  • The X Factor winner spoke out after witnessing bandmate Mustafa Rahimtulla suffer terrible abuse on social media

Rak-Su star Myles Stephenson claims Jesy Nelson‘s decision to quit Little Mix at the height of their fame may well have saved her life. 

The singer confirmed her permanent departure from the girl-group in December, just weeks after revealing she was taking a temporary hiatus from all work commitments. 

And Myles – who came through the same system as Jesy having won The X Factor with Rak-Su in 2017 – believes the vicious online abuse that prompted her departure could have escalated had she stayed.

Pivotal: Rak-Su star Myles Stephenson claims Jesy Nelson’s decision to quit Little Mix at the height of their fame may well have saved her life

He told Metro: ‘We all know that she’s gone through drama with people, obviously trolling and social media so I think she made a very smart decision and that decision could have potentially saved her life. 

‘We don’t know if she had stayed in the group and continued to receive the social media trolling that she used to get, who knows what could have happened.’

Myles spoke out after witnessing bandmate Mustafa Rahimtulla suffer online abuse before taking some time away from the group to deal with ‘mental health issues’ in November. 

All over: The singer confirmed her permanent departure from the girl-group in December

All over: The singer confirmed her permanent departure from the girl-group in December

He added: It’s the same situation with Mustafa when he used to get trolled as well. How long can people take it? 

‘You know whether you’re a confident person or you’re not so confident person, everybody has a breaking point, people just need to find out what it is.’

Confirming her Little Mix departure in a message to fans on December 14th, Jesy admitted the pressure of being in the band for almost a decade had affected her mental health. 

Opening up: Myles (far right) believes the vicious online abuse that prompted her departure could have escalated had she stayed

Opening up: Myles (far right) believes the vicious online abuse that prompted her departure could have escalated had she stayed 

Painful: Myles witnessed bandmate Mustafa Rahimtulla suffer online abuse before taking some time away from the group (L-R, Rak-Su stars Mustafa Rahimtulla ,Jamaal Shurland, Ashley Fongho and Myles Stephenson)

Painful: Myles witnessed bandmate Mustafa Rahimtulla suffer online abuse before taking some time away from the group (L-R, Rak-Su stars Mustafa Rahimtulla ,Jamaal Shurland, Ashley Fongho and Myles Stephenson)

Taking to Instagram, she wrote: ‘To all my Mixers, the past nine years in Little Mix has been the most incredible time of my life. We have achieved things I never thought possible. From winning our first Brit Award to our sold out shows at the O2.

‘Making friends and fans all over the world I can’t thank you all enough from the bottom of my heart for making me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. You have always been there to support and encourage me and I will never ever forget it.

‘The truth is recently being in the band has really taken a toll on my mental health. I find the constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations very hard.

Too much: 'You know whether you’re a confident person or you’re not so confident person, everybody has a breaking point, people just need to find out what it is,' he said

Too much: ‘You know whether you’re a confident person or you’re not so confident person, everybody has a breaking point, people just need to find out what it is,’ he said 

‘There comes a time in life when we need to reinvest in taking care of ourselves rather than focusing on making other people happy, and I feel like now is the time to begin that process.

She added: ‘So after much consideration and with a heavy heart, I’m announcing I’m leaving Little Mix.’

She added: ‘I need to spend some time with the people I love, doing things that make me happy. I’m ready to embark on a new chapter in my life – I’m not sure what it’s going to look like right now, but I hope you’ll still be there to support.

Candid:  Confirming her Little Mix departure in a message to fans on December 14th, Jesy admitted the pressure of being in the band for almost a decade had affected her mental health

Candid:  Confirming her Little Mix departure in a message to fans on December 14th, Jesy admitted the pressure of being in the band for almost a decade had affected her mental health

‘I want to say thank you to everyone involved in our journey. All the hard work and dedication that went into making us a success.

‘To every single fan who came to see us in concert, who listened to our songs and sung their hearts out, sent me messages and supported me along the way I want you to know I love you all so much and I could never have done this without you and I appreciate it endlessly.

‘Most of all I want to say thank you to Jade, Perrie and Leigh-Anne for creating some of the most amazing memories I’ll never forget. I hope that you’ll continue to fulfil all of your dreams and keep on making music that people love. Love Jesy x.’