Jesy Nelson's former publicist has slammed her live stream with Nicki Minaj as a 'backfire'.
The Instagram Live saw Jesy and Nicki discussing their new single Boyz. This included the controversy surrounding the song’s music video and claims that her former bandmate Leigh-Anne Pinnock thought Jesy was appropriating black culture.
Taking to Instagram shortly after Jesy and Nicki’s stream ended, celebrity publicist Simon Jones, who was Jesy’s publicist for the 10 years she was in Little Mix, called the Instagram Live a “backfire”.
Simon, who still represents her former bandmates and high profile clients including Ant and Dec and Myleene Klass, wrote on his Instagram Stories: “What a backfire”.
His next story then saw him promote Leigh-Anne Pinnock’s BBC documentary about racism.
Sharing a snap of the promotional picture for Leigh’s documentary, Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop & Power, Simon wrote: “Anyway. Go watch this documentary again”.
Leigh-Anne’s documentary aired on the BBC earlier this year and discussed the 30 year old’s experience with racism in the music and entertainment industry.
The public drama between former bandmates Jesy and Leigh-Anne began after TikTok user NoHun, real name is Raurie Williams, claimed that in messages he apparently received from Leigh-Anne's account, she called Jesy a "horrible" person.
It is not known who amongst Leigh-Anne's entourage has access to her social media account. The messages said NoHun "should create a video around Jesy blackfishing".
Blackfishing is a term used to accuse someone of pretending to have Black or mixed-race heritage for their own gain.
And in an Instagram live stream to her 8.4 million followers with US rapper Nicki, Jesy said that Leigh-Anne did text her about race shortly before she left the band.
Jesy recalled: "I was in a group with two women of colour for ten years, and it was never brought up to me until the last music video I did with them when Leigh-Anne messaged me…"
The Essex born star failed to elaborate on the exact nature of the conversation as Nicki interrupted to further discuss the controversy.
Jesy went on to defend her image, revealing that she tans easily and her hair is naturally curly.
"My intention was never to offend people of colour with this video and my song," Jesy said.
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She added: "I just want to touch on the whole tanning thing as well, when I was in the video with you [Nicki], I didn't have fake tan on. I'd been in Antigua prior to that for three weeks.
"I'm really lucky as a white girl, I tan so much. Leigh-Anne even said to me in the group: 'Are you sure you're not mixed-race because you go darker than me in the sun!'"
Nicki went on to discuss the controversy further and branded Leigh-Anne, who recently became a mum to twins, a “clown”.
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"Unless someone is pretending they're a race they're not and lying, sweetheart, take them text messages and shove them up your f***ing a** because when you do clown s**t I have to speak to you and talk to you like you're a clown," she vented.
"You don't have to try and ruin anyone – you're in this woman's group and don't talk about this s**t for 10 years and now you've seen she has a video coming with Diddy? Print those text messages out and shove them up your a**.
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