How Jesy Nelson overcame body-shaming hell that left her ‘suicidal’ & ‘not wanting kids’ to becoming pregnant with twins
SHE once vowed she’d never have children, but it seems Jesy Nelson has had a dramatic change of heart.
The 33-year-old singer sent her fans into a frenzy when she posted a glowing snap of her baby bump alongside her musician fiancé Zion Foster, 26.
Looking radiant and full of joy, she hinted she’s expecting twins in the caption: “She’s eating for three now,” followed by two baby emojis.
Her announcement came as a huge surprise to fans, as Jesy had previously revealed that she didn’t want to have children due to the relentless trolling she’s faced over the years.
It’s no secret that the former Little Mix star has had a tumultuous journey in the spotlight.
From public spats with her band mates to being accused of cultural appropriation during her solo career, Jesy’s life has been a mix of highs and lows.
But insiders say the news of her pregnancy marks a significant turning point for Jesy, who’s spoken openly about the immense pressure she’s felt to conform to the industry’s beauty standards.
In her candid BBC Three documentary, Odd One Out, Jesy revealed the devastating impact online bullying had on her mental health, even admitting that she’d considered taking her own life.
But in recent years, Jesy’s transformation – both physically and emotionally – has been nothing short of inspiring.
As fans eagerly await more updates, we look back at her roller-coaster journey to motherhood.
Body shaming hell
Before Jesy joined Little Mix in 2011, after meeting her band mates on the UK version of The X Factor, she claims she had no body confidence issues.
She told You magazine: “Before we got in the group, I never looked at myself and thought, ‘I don’t like that’ – I don’t think any of us did. I never thought, ‘Oh god, I’m fat’, and then we got into the industry, and we all started wanting to change things about ourselves…
“It makes me not want to have a kid. Those insecurities that we all have now because of social media, imagine having that embedded in you as a child?”
Heartbreakingly, Jesy told how she couldn’t stop reading the negative comments about her.
“Social media is like a drug,” she continues. “Every day, I’d type in ‘Jesy Nelson fat’ or ‘Jesy Nelson ugly’, and read what everyone said about me.”
Social media is like a drug, everyday I’d type in Jesy Nelson fat’ and read what everyone said about me
Jesy Nelson
“It’s so sad,” Jesy added. “There are things [in the past] I definitely wish I hadn’t done. But would I be the person I am today if I hadn’t gone through all of that?”
Mental health issues
Jesy went on to explain how one tweet from controversial TV personality Katie Hopkins about her weight sent her spiralling, and she even contemplated suicide.
Hopkins cruelly posted the tweet when Little Mix returned to The X Factor for a guest performance in 2013.
“I thought, what is the f****** point? I’m literally starving myself,” Jesy said. “I’ve drunk Diet Coke for a week and I’m still getting called fat. I went into a really dark place and did what I did.”
Their on-off spat rumbled on, and Katie attacked Jesy again after her brave BBC 3 doc aired.
Katie branded the star as “desperate” and “insincere” in a vicious tweet which was instantly slammed by fans.
In her BBC3 documentary, she revealed an earlier suicide attempt, in 2013, was swept under the carpet, while she was still in the band.
“I had taken an overdose, I was in hospital and I had a music video a week after,” she said.
She says she tried to raise the issue with managers but was told that taking time off would cause negative press, so she was persuaded to carry on.
JESY'S TURBULENT LOVE LIFE
Jesy Nelson has had her fair share of ups and downs in the love department, but it seems she’s found happiness once again with rapper Zion Foster.
The couple, who share a seven-year age gap, first sparked dating rumours in late 2022.
Zion, 26, is from South London and was raised in a Nigerian household by his mother.
His musical journey began with gospel influences, but he later drew inspiration from artists like Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, and Usher.
Throughout their relationship, the pair often posted sweet snaps together, but their romance hit a bump in August 2023 when they decided to part ways.
Sources at the time suggested their age difference was a factor, noting: “Jesy is in a different headspace from Zion now.
“Being a few years older, she sees things differently. They had a great trip abroad, but Jesy felt it was time to move on.”
Now, it seems the pair have reconciled and are stronger than ever, with Zion appearing in a touching photo alongside Jesy and her baby bump.
Before Zion, Jesy was romantically linked to several high-profile names, including Love Island star Chris Hughes.
She dated Chris from January 2019 to April 2020 but ended the relationship after shocking photos emerged of Chris in a heated altercation with a photographer.
Despite previously expressing her love for Chris and envisioning a long-term future together, insiders revealed Jesy ended things to “protect her career and herself.”
Jesy has also been linked to Harry James, Sean Sagar, and Rixton frontman Jake Roche, to whom she was briefly engaged in 2015 before calling it off in 2016.
Hopkins wrote: “These desperate daily pics are showing that contrivance of a documentary to be darn insincere. Girls. Be better than this. Beauty is in strength, not weakness that needs validating daily.”
But a defiant Jesy hit back, sharing another snap of herself and writing in the caption: “Have another one hun.”
Fame struggles
Jesy struggled with overnight fame and in 2020 she opened up about the panic attack she experienced before Little Mix were due to appear on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge.
“I was having these panic attacks out of nowhere. I couldn’t understand what was happening. It got to the point where I thought, this is too much – I need to come out of this now.”
Eventually, the pressures of being in a famous girl band got too much for Jesy and in December 2020 she shocked fans when she revealed she was leaving the group.
She said: “I know there are people who think I’ve let the other girls down, and that I’m so selfish, but it was really affecting me mentally…I do think there comes a time in life when you do have to put yourself first.”
I was never prepared for fame…I was just a barmaid working in Dagenham
Jesy Nelson
“I was never prepared…I was just a barmaid working in Dagenham,” she admitted in a deeply emotional chat. “Being in a girl band, you are a machine going all the time.
“You don’t have a minute to breathe and take time out if you just need space. That was something I struggled with.
“For me my mental health issues were an ongoing thing while I was in Little Mix.
“I was struggling with my body issues, I was constantly being trolled — and I really, really struggled with it.
Little Mix Blackfishing Feud
But if Jesy thought her problems would end once she left the group, she was wrong.
After her sudden departure from the band, she found herself at the centre of a controversy in 2021 over accusations of blackfishing – a term used to describe a white individual appearing to emulate Black heritage.
The issue exploded following the release of her debut single, Boyz. In the accompanying music video, critics accused Jesy of altering her appearance to seem less white, sparking widespread backlash.
Adding to the controversy, leaked messages from former bandmate Leigh-Anne Pinnock to influencer NoHun surfaced, accusing Jesy of blackfishing and intensifying the public scrutiny.
Jesy addressed the situation during an Instagram livestream alongside her Boyz collaborator, Nicki Minaj.
Minaj didn’t hold back, labelling Leigh-Anne and the other band members as “jealous, miserable clowns” and accusing them of attempting to sabotage Jesy’s career.
Pals of Jesy revealed she was “heartbroken” over Leigh-Anne’s involvement, claiming it had incited a wave of racial hatred and relentless trolling.
Jesy reportedly confided that she couldn’t fathom how someone she once considered family could be so cruel.
New chapter
Jesy’s announcement, alongside a beaming Zion, suggests a brighter future.
The couple first dated in 2022 but split in August 23, after nine months.
After reuniting in November 2023 they split again last summer, amid reports she struggled withe their seven year age gap.
Confirming the split on a TikTok post Zion paid tribute to Jesy saying: “Beautiful woman inside and out, wish her nothing but the best”.
The pair clearly couldn’t stay away from each other and recently collaborated on tracks together with one being unveiled in August and the others yet to be released.
Now it seems the loved up couple have been collaborating on more than music – with their cute pregnancy snap saying it all.
After the pain and mental health struggles she has been so open about, Jesy seems to have found her happy every after.