While celebrating her 30th birthday over the weekend, Leigh-Ann Pinnock defended
her character leaving fans convinced she was addressing the drama surrounding Jesy Nelson
and Nicki Minaj. So what does she say about the whole thing? How are fans taking it? If questions
like these intrigue your curious mind then this video is going to be the perfect place for you.
So sit back and stay with us till the end of this video. Also do subscribe to our channel for
more such updates from the celebrity world. Let's get started with today's video now!
Over the weekend, Little Mix member Leigh-Anne Pinnock marked her 30th birthday with a
celebration alongside fiancé Andre Gray. But in a new video obtained by The Mirror,
the singer appeared to deliver a speech during her party that raised a few eyebrows.
"I'm 30 years old," she told the crowd. "I know my character,
you know my character, anyone that meets me knows my character. That's all I care about."
The singer’s fiancé, Andre Gray, stood by her side the entire time, while her
family and friends erupted into applause. Minaj alleged that Pinnock had “selective outrage”
over Nelson, who was accused of blackfishing in the music video for her debut solo single, “Boyz.”
The track and music video both feature Minaj. “One more thing, in my story, I just posted
your friend, you under her pictures talking about ‘werk?'” Minaj said
in a video specifically referencing a comment Pinnock left on Nelson’s pics before the drama.
Fans began to speculate that Leigh-Anne's message could be a response to the drama she has faced
with Nicki Minaj and former bandmate Jesy Nelson. Leigh-Anne along with many others accused Jesy of
‘blackfishing,’ which is a form of cultural appropriation in which a non-black person
intentionally tries to appear darker by use of spray tans, makeup, and hairstyles.
Jesy told fans in an IG Live with Nicki, “I want to say that my intention was never,
ever to offend people of color with this video and my song because like I said,
growing up as a young girl, this is the music that I listened to.
These are the videos that I watched and thought were the best.”
She insisted that the darker skin tone and hairstyles she sported in the video had
nothing to do with her trying to integrate herself into the black culture, it’s just what she knows.
It all began when Jesy dropped a new song called "Boyz" with Nicki on Oct. 7.
The new track started to become overshadowed by unverified screenshots of Leigh-Anne allegedly
going after Jesy in a TikTok star NoHun's DMs. In the messages, which E! News has not
independently verified, Leigh-Anne allegedly asked NoHun to make a video about Jesy "being
a blackfish," referring to someone pretending to be or acting Black when they're not.
After hearing about the messages, Nicki went on Instagram Live with Jesy
where she defended her collaborator without explicitly mentioning Little Mix by name.
Print them text messages out, and throw them pieces of paper in the garbage bag as they don't
mean a thing to me . OK?" Nicki said. "And stop
trying to hurt people and kill people's lives and careers."
As for Jesy, she has chosen not to bash anyone online. She wanted to apologize to
anyone she offended with her latest project. "I want to say that my intention was never,
ever to offend people of color with this video and my song because like I said, growing up as
a young girl, this is the music that I listened to," Jesy said on Instagram Live. "These are the
videos that I watched and thought were the best. For me, '90s R&B were the best years in music.
I just wanted to celebrate that." Jesy has previously spoken out about accusations
of black fishing as she releases new music. In an interview with Vulture published on Oct. 8,
Jesy said the chatter increased after leaving the girl group.
"The whole time I was in Little Mix I never got any of that," Jesy said. "And then I came out of
[the band] and people all of a sudden we're saying it. I wasn't on social media around that time,
so I let my team [deal with it], because that was when I'd just left. But I mean,
like, I love Black culture. I love Black music. That's all I know; it's what I grew up on."
"I'm very aware that I'm a white British woman," she added. "I've never said that I wasn't."
Vulture also reported that two follow-up interviews,
which were scheduled to ask Jesy about the specific criticisms aimed at her new video,
were canceled, and that via email she said: "I take all those comments made seriously.
I would never intentionally do anything to make myself look racially ambiguous,
so that’s why I was initially shocked that the term was directed at me."
However, in December 2020, Nelson announced she was leaving the band
to focus on her mental health. “I need to spend time with the people I love,
doing things that make me happy,” the British musician explained via Instagram,
telling fans that after nine years she was “ready to embark on a new chapter in my life.”
She added at the time, “I’m not sure what it’s going to look like right now,
but I hope you’ll still be there to support me.”
Following her announcement, Edwards, Pinnock, and Thirlwall publicly supported her decision,
but also let fans know they would continue making music. “We are still very much enjoying our Little
Mix journey and the 3 of us are not ready for it to be over,” they noted via Instagram.
In January 2021, Little Mix released their first photo without Nelson.
Four months later, the remaining members dropped their first song
as a trio — a remix of their 2020 song “Confetti” featuring rapper Saweetie.
Later that year, the band announced their first greatest hits album, Between Us,
which “includes all our hits, as well as some brand new songs we can’t wait for you to hear,”
the trio tweeted of the November 2021 release, adding, “This album is for every
one of you who’s listened to our music, bought an album or sung your heart out at our shows.
We wouldn’t be here releasing this album if it wasn’t for you.”
While Nelson’s former bandmates worked on new music and welcomed babies — Edwards and Pinnock
both became first-time moms in 2021 — she was in the studio working on her solo debut.
Nelson returned to the scene in October 2021 with her first single, “Boyz,”
featuring Nicki Minaj. After the release of the song’s video,
she was accused of “blackfishing,” which refers to when a non-Black person uses photoshop,
makeup, or other means to make their skin or appearance look more Black.
Edward, Pinnock, and Thirlwall got dragged into the controversy — along with Minaj.
Shortly after the Vulture interview was published,
Little Mix fans noticed that Edwards, Pinnock, and Thirlwall
had unfollowed Nelson. Edwards’ dog, Hatchi, had also unfollowed the About a Boy actress.
The trio did not comment as to why they ditched their former bandmate on social media,
but fans believed it was tied to Nelson’s response to the backlash about her music video.
The “Starships” rapper, who is featured on Nelson’s “Boyz,” spoke out in the
singer’s defense while accusing the British singer’s former bandmates,
who she did not address by name, of being jealous.
"Stop. If you want a solo career, baby girl, just say that" Minaj said during an Instagram
Live she co-hosted with Nelson in October 2021. "You can go out and put on your music.
We're gonna support you and love you. That's it. You don't have to attack someone else.”
Days after Minaj slammed Pinnock and her bandmates for being jealous of Nelson’s solo success, the
British singer appeared to address the "Monster" rapper’s comments at her 30th birthday party.
Well, we hope for the best for the trio from here onwards.
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