Jesy Nelson has hit back at claims she is blackfishing in her new solo video - saying that she is "aware she is a white British woman".
The singer, 30, came under fire earlier today following the release of her music video after fans accused her of blackfishing - a term that refers to someone who is pretending to be black or mixed-race.
Her debut single Boyz stars Jesy alongside rapper Nikki Minaj and P Diddy, but fans were not impressed to see the former Little Mix star sporting a deep tan and braided hair in the footage.
However, Jesy has hit back at claims of cultural appropriation, pointing out that the term blackfishing had never been directed towards her before she left Little Mix.
The Essex-born singer told Vulture in an interview: "I'm very aware that I'm a white British woman; I've never said that I wasn't.
"But I mean, like, I love Black culture. I love Black music. That's all I know; it's what I grew up on."
Questioned about claims suggested that some of her Instagram followers had been blocked after accusing her of blackfishing, she suggested that it may have been a member of her team who had done it on her behalf.
After the interview, Jesy's management told the publication that the comments had been deleted and users blocked by her team.
She said in a statement: "I know comments relating to this had previously been deleted from my IG account, I only found out afterwards that a member of my management team had deleted comments.
"I’ve spent years being bullied online, so I limit the amount I go on socials. My management team have access to my account & they were trying to protect me & my mental health."
Jesy also spoke about how she had become more confident with age, particularly after taking part in her BBC documentary about trolling.
"I don’t feel like I’m hiding something anymore," she said. "That helped me with my anxiety."
