Nicki Minaj criticised after hitting out at Little Mix as she defends Jesy Nelson against blackfishing claims

Nicki Minaj has defended Jesy Nelson in response to blackfishing claims - and took the opportunity to hit out against Little Mix in the process.

During an Instagram Live discussing Nelson’s first solo single Boyz in collaboration with the rapper, the pair addressed the blackfishing claims circulating online, accusing Nelson of changing her appearance to make herself appear Black or racially ambiguous.

People have also been criticising Nelson’s new song as well, accusing the singer of using a “Blaccent” while singing lyrics such as “So hood, so good, so damn taboo.”

Nelson has recently responded to these claims. In an interview with Vulture she said: “The whole time I was in Little Mix I never got any of that. And then I came out of [the band] and people all of a sudden were 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.”

Later on, she added in a statement: “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.”

During the Instagram Live, Minaj also appeared to criticised Nelson’s former Little Mix bandmate Leigh-Anne Pinnock, over an alleged comment she made that was leaked on Instagram.

In the apparent exchange, which indy100 has not verified, messages purported to be from an account belonging to Pinnock mention the blackfishing controversy, while claiming Nelson has cut her and her Little Mix bandmates off. She also allegedly describes Nelson as a “horrible person.”

Nelson left Little Mix last year, citing the toll being in a girl group took on her mental health.

“Take them text messages and shove it up your f***ing a**, because when you do clown sh*t I got to treat you and talk to you like you a clown,” Minaj said of the apparent messages.

“If you was in this woman’s group and you ain’t talk about this sh*t for 10 years and as soon as you see she got a video coming out with Nicki Minaj and Puffy, now you sending text messages and all this sh*t…print those text messages out, bust your a** open and shove them up your motherf***ing a**.”

She went on: “Stop trying to hurt people and kill people’s lives and careers, this is the way people feed their families. Stop – if you want a solo career, baby girl, just say that.”

The rapper then branded Pinnock a “big jealous bozo.”

While Minaj was ranting about her former bandmates, Nelson sat back quietly and appeared to provide the occasional laugh.

Nelson also provided an explanation for her dark tan. “When I was in the [Boyz] video with you, I didn’t even have any fake tan on... I’d been in Antigua prior to that for three weeks. I’m just so lucky as a white girl that when I’m in the sun I tan so dark,” she said.

“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, that’s crazy’”.

She added that blackfishing concerns were addressed on the set of the last music video she did as part of Little Mix, Sweet Melody.

She said: “It’s just hard for me because I was in a group with two women of colour for nine years and it was never brought up to me up until the last music video when she messaged me and said ‘Jesy, I just want to make you aware’…”

After the explosive Instagram Live, Minaj took to Twitter and appeared to accuse Pinnock of “bullying” while also mentioning Nelson’s previous mental health struggles.

But people have taken to Twitter to criticise Minaj for weighing in on the matter and have accused her of bullying Pinnock. Some also accused Nelson of hypocrisy, saying she should not have allowed Minaj to make those comments when she has previously spoken out about internet bullying in a BBC documentary.

Pinnock and her Little Mix bandmates have not commented on Minaj and Nelson’s claims.

Others were disappointed at Minaj for going after Little Mix since the band have been supportive of the rapper and defended her in the past - and even collaborated with them prior to Nelson’s departure with the song Woman Like Me.

Elsewhere fans of Little Mix are disappointed things have turned out the way they have.

In an interview with Glamour, Nelson admitted that her and her ex-bandmates no longer speak.

indy100 has contacted Minaj, Nelson and Little Mix for comment.