The music group Fifth Harmony made an announcement on Dec. 19 that band member Camila Cabello decided to leave the group.
On the group’s official Instagram page, the band put out a statement saying, “After four and a half years together, we have been informed via her representatives that she has decided to leave Fifth Harmony.”
Many Staples students are disappointed in the split as the group had a large following. Monique Ostbye ’18 said she was disappointed because the group had been together for so long. Ostbye had a chance encounter with Cabello in October and said that they had “talked about the direction that the group was going in, so I was pretty shocked.”
But Cabello’s departure was not unexpected by some fans, as she has been pursuing solo endeavors since January 2016.
“I guess it’s something that a lot of groups are starting to do. After Zayn leaving One Direction [and now] Camila leaving, people are trying to go solo now,” Julia Gershowitz ’19 said.
Many students still find the break up to be shocking as they did not expect it to happen this soon. “I’m not a fan but I do feel bad for all of them. I guess people weren’t expecting her to depart right now. I think people were expecting next summer,” said Jessie Parker ’18.
But there are some who question whether Cabello actually chose to leave. After Fifth Harmony released their statement, Cabello released a statement of her own hours later, saying she was “shocked to read the statement the Fifth Harmony account posted without my knowing.” A back and forth between Cabello and the remaining members of the group ensued.
The group was created when all five members individually auditioned for the show “X-Factor” and then were put together in a group. They have since been on two world tours and released three studio albums and various singles.
Both parties have affirmed that their love for the group’s fans is unwavering and they hope that people continue to support them.
“At the end of the day,” Parker said, “it must just be devastating for the fans.”
