Jesy Nelson and Rapper Zion Foster Split Weeks After Revealing Twins' SMA Battle

Jesy Nelson and her fiancé, rapper Zion Foster, have reportedly ended their four-year relationship just four months after announcing their engagement.

The split, confirmed on Monday, 19 January 2026, comes during an emotional period for the family as their eight-month-old twin daughters, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe, battle Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1.

Despite the romantic separation, sources close to the pair say they remain 'best of friends' and are entirely focused on their children's complex medical needs.

Separation Follows Months of Medical Trauma

According to reports first published by The Sun, Nelson, 34, and Foster, 27, quietly split earlier this month after four years together and a September 2025 engagement. The timing comes shortly after Nelson appeared on This Morning on 7 January without her engagement ring, prompting speculation later confirmed by sources close to the couple.

Friends have stressed that the separation is amicable and driven by emotional exhaustion rather than conflict. One source described the pair as 'still a team' whose priority remains their daughters, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe.

The twins were born prematurely at 31 weeks in May 2025 after a high-risk pregnancy complicated by twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), a condition requiring emergency in-utero surgery. While early concerns appeared to stabilise, further developmental delays led to months of specialist tests.

The family is based in the United Kingdom, where the twins are currently receiving specialist care at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

A Campaign for the 'Heel Prick' Test

In the wake of the diagnosis, Nelson has used her platform to launch a nationwide campaign and a Change.org petition calling for SMA to be added to the NHS newborn blood spot screening, commonly known as the 'heel prick' test.

At present, the UK does not routinely screen for the condition at birth, outside a pilot study in Oxford, despite the availability of revolutionary gene therapies that are most effective when administered before symptoms appear. Nelson has described the current lack of testing as 'indefensible' and a 'huge flaw' in the healthcare system.

Nelson has been vocal about her 'grief' over the life she imagined for her daughters, but she remains focused on their survival. The twins have already received Zolgensma, a one-off NHS-approved gene therapy infusion designed to halt the progression of the disease.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has since publicly backed Nelson's efforts, acknowledging that the singer is 'right to challenge' the current delays in the UK's diagnostic process for rare genetic disorders and stating he is determined to look into the screening process.

Co-Parenting Amidst Crisis

Despite the end of their romantic engagement, sources close to the couple insist that the split is amicable and driven by the sheer emotional exhaustion of the past few months. Zion Foster recently shared a moving Instagram video featuring a poem dedicated to his 'warrior girls,' in which he praised Nelson as a 'superwoman' for her tireless advocacy and shared that, while doctors measure what they can see, he sees strength in their 'smiles like sunsets.'

The couple's journey, including the surgical interventions during pregnancy and the subsequent ten-week hospital stay, was documented for a forthcoming six-part Amazon Prime series titled Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix, set to premiere on February 13, 2026. While the show was originally intended to celebrate their path to parenthood, it is now expected to provide an intimate look at the reality of raising children with complex disabilities.

The Road Ahead for Ocean and Story

For Ocean and Story, the future involves intensive physical and occupational therapy. While gene therapy has halted further muscle loss, it cannot restore nerves already damaged by the condition. Story is currently required to use a breathing machine at night, and both infants use feeding tubes down their noses. The twins will likely require lifelong support, including potential respiratory and nutritional assistance.

As Nelson and Foster navigate their new lives as single parents, their primary focus remains the 'Warrior Girls' who have already defied the odds of a high-risk birth. By stepping away from their romantic ties, the pair reportedly hope to provide a more stable, stress-free environment as they manage the round-the-clock care their daughters now require, with insiders noting they remain 'pals' and the best of friends.