Jesy Nelson announced Monday that she is leaving Little Mix in a lengthy statement posted to Instagram.
Nelson began by calling her time in the group "the most incredible time of my life," and calling herself "the luckiest girl in the world" when she recalled them winning their first Brit Award and selling out the The O2 Arena. That said, she noted that these highs have recently been overshadowed by lows.
MORE: 9 ways to boost your mental health as the coronavirus pandemic continues"The past nine years in Little Mix has been the most incredible time of my life," the 29-year-old wrote. "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."
"There comes a time in life when we need to reinvest in taking care of ourselves rather than ... making other people happy, and I feel like now is the time to begin that process," she continued. "So after much consideration and with a heavy heart, I'm announcing I'm leaving Little Mix."
Nelson went on to explain she's "ready to embark on a new chapter in my life" and thanked her fans for their support before turning her attention to her now-former bandmates -- Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall.
"Most of all I want to say thank you to Jade, Perri and Leigh-Anne for creating some of the most amazing memories I'll never forget," she said.
The three remaining members of Little Mix -- which was formed in 2011 during season eight of the British version of "The X Factor" -- shared a statement to the group's social media pages.
MORE: How to get free mental health help during the coronavirus pandemic"After an amazing 9 years together Jesy has made the decision to leave Little Mix," they began. "This is an incredibly sad time for all of us but we are fully supportive of Jesy. We love her very much and agree that it is so important that she does what is right for her mental health and well-being."
"We are still very much enjoying our Little Mix journey and the 3 of us are not ready for it to be over," they assured their followers. "We know that Jesy leaving the group is going to be really upsetting news for our fans. We love you guys so much and are so grateful for your loyalty and continued support of all of us. We’re looking forward to seeing so many of you on tour."
Little Mix has released six studio albums together, with their latest offering, "Confetti," having just dropped on Nov. 6. They are known for hit singles such as "Black Magic," "Shout Out to My Ex" and "Power."
