Jesy Nelson’s ex-boyfriend Chris Hughes has defended the star’s solo music in the wake of the blackfishing scandal thwarting her new career.
The Love Island hunk, 28, spoke to New! Magazine about the former Little Mix star, 30, and her solo endeavours, after she released her debut track Boyz, to much furore last month – yet Chris insisted: ‘The song sounded good to me’.
The couple split in April last year, after 16 months as a couple, and Chris has now found love with Annabel Dimmock, while Jesy has been focusing on her work since departing Little Mix in December last year.
Shock: Jesy Nelson’s ex-boyfriend Chris Hughes has defended the star’s solo music in the wake of the blackfishing scandal thwarting her new career
Jesy sparked worldwide conversation last month when she released her new track Boyz, in which she sings alongside Nicky Minaj and appears in a video with P Diddy.
After the song and video were released, fans, critics and even her former bandmates blasted the star for ‘blackfishing’ – which is a form of cultural appropriation, whereby a person pretends to be black or mixed race by mimicking traits and characteristics.
Despite the ongoing scandal surrounding Jesy, Chris insisted he was a fan of the track and claimed he had not seen details of the row as he does not use Twitter.
He said: ‘No matter what industry or line of work you’re in, it’s always good to do things different, and the song sounded good to me on the radio. I haven’t seen or read too much into it. I wouldn’t be able to comment’.
Oops: Jesy sparked worldwide conversation last month when she released her new track Boyz, in which she sings alongside Nicky Minaj and appears in a video with P Diddy
In April, Chris spoke candidly about his ‘difficult’ split from Jesy, as he revealed life after their break-up was ‘a s**tstorm’. Explaining that he and Jesy simply ‘grew apart’, Chris detailed the toll his separation from the star took on his mental health.
The reality star told The Sun: ‘It was difficult. Sometimes you just grow apart. There have definitely been days when I wake up and things haven’t felt great. The period 12 months ago was really tough.’
He added: ‘There were days where I was waking up and our split was the first thing I thought. I had to try my hardest mentally to break the cycle. Life was a s**tstorm.’
Forgiveness: In April, Chris spoke candidly about his ‘difficult’ split from Jesy, as he revealed life after their break-up was ‘a s**tstorm’. Explaining that he and Jesy simply ‘grew apart’, Chris detailed the toll his separation from the star took on his mental health
Jesy and Chris went public with their romance in January 2019, when they were seen enjoying a steamy date in a kebab shop, after weeks of rumours around the union.
The high-profile pair called it quits in April last year.
Over the weekend, Little Mix revealed they warned Jesy about blackfishing before her shock exit from the group last year.
Jade Thirwall, 28, admitted she, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, 30, and Perrie Edwards, 28, had a ‘friendly, educational’ chat with Jesy, 30, after she began to overhaul her look.
The Boyz singer was reportedly criticised in Instagram messages by her former bandmate Leigh-Anne for appropriating black culture and darkening her skin with fake tan and changing her hair in the video.
Concern: Over the weekend, Little Mix revealed they warned Jesy about blackfishing before her shock exit from the group last year (Jade Thirwall, Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, pictured)
Now the group have confirmed they had spoken to her about the difficulties in the way she presented herself, but insisted it happened before she quit last year.
Jade told Stella magazine: ‘We don’t want to talk about the video, or be critical, but one thing we will clarify regarding the blackfishing situation is that Jesy was approached by the group in a very friendly, educational manner.’
Leigh-Anne added: ‘Capitalising on aspects of blackness without having to endure the daily realities of the black experience is problematic and harmful to people of colour.
‘We think it’s absolutely not OK to use harmful stereotypes. There’s so much to say on that subject that it’s hard to sum up in a sound bite.’
Overhaul: Jade Thirwall, 28, admitted she, Leigh-Anne, 30, and Perrie, 28, had a ‘friendly, educational’ chat with Jesy after she began to overhaul her image (pictured last month)