Jesy Nelson’s former fiancé Zion Foster has strongly denied claims that he walked away from their twin daughters following their devastating diagnosis with spinal muscular atrophy Type 1.
Ocean and Story, now 14 months old, were diagnosed with the rare genetic condition in January 2026. The emotional weeks surrounding the diagnosis were filmed for the new Prime Video documentary series Jesy Nelson: Life Changing.
In one of the most difficult scenes, Zion, 26, admitted he felt completely overwhelmed by the reality facing the family.
“I’m not equipped to deal with this. I’m out of my depth, emotionally, physically and mentally,” he said.
“At the moment I’m surviving. I just need to get help.”
Jesy, 35, acknowledged at the time that Zion appeared to be struggling to process the life-changing news.
“I can tell he’s really struggling,” she said. “For a 26-year-old to have to now be put in this situation… I feel like I can see his life flashing before his eyes.”
The couple announced the end of their engagement later that month, with Jesy telling cameras: “It’s hard. It’s just me and mum now.”
However, after Zion’s “out of my depth” comments triggered criticism online, he released a lengthy statement insisting his words had been misinterpreted.
“When I said I was ‘out of my depth’, I wasn’t saying I was walking away from my children or abandoning my responsibilities as a father,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I was talking about the overwhelming reality of suddenly facing a rare and complex medical diagnosis that I knew nothing about.”
Zion explained that admitting he felt unprepared was an expression of honesty rather than evidence that he intended to leave his daughters.
“Being out of my depth meant I was learning. It meant I was trying to understand,” he continued.
“It never meant I didn’t love my daughters or that I wasn’t going to be there for them.”
He then delivered a direct message to those who had accused him of abandoning his family.
“Please don’t mistake vulnerability for abandonment.”
Zion added: “I love my girls more than words could ever express. They are my world and always will be.”
On the same day, the musician shared footage of himself recording a new song built around the phrase “out of my depth”, apparently transforming the controversy into music.
Zion also addressed the revelation that Jesy had made the final decision to end their relationship.
In the documentary, Jesy said: “I decided we would be better off apart.”
Responding to her comments, Zion said he respected her decision but insisted the end of their romantic relationship had not changed his commitment as a father.
“Although I respect that, it does not change the fact that I remain committed to my daughters in every way I possibly can,” he wrote.
“This journey has been heartbreaking for all of us. Nobody prepares you for news like this, and we’re all navigating it in our own way.”
Jesy described their separation as almost inevitable after the trauma they had endured together.
“It’s a very traumatic thing that we’ve both been through,” she said.
“I think it’s quite inevitable for things like this to happen to couples.”
The former Little Mix singer admitted that such a crisis can either unite two people or expose differences that become impossible to overcome.
“I don’t think it’s a shock that we’ve broken up. You’ll either be a team or it’ll tear you apart, and unfortunately I feel that’s what it’s done to me and Zion.”
Despite the painful split, Jesy insisted there was no hostility between them.
“There’s no bad feeling,” she said, adding that her daughters remained her overwhelming priority.
“I just want to be the best mum with the best energy and positivity possible.”
Jesy explained that she and Zion were responding to the diagnosis in very different ways, which created growing tension inside their home.
“The house was not like that when we were together,” she said.
“We’re both dealing with this situation completely differently, and together we were clashing.”
While their engagement has ended, Zion has made clear that he rejects any suggestion he has also stepped away from fatherhood.
His statement presents a different interpretation of the documentary’s most emotional moments: not as the words of a father preparing to leave, but as an admission from a young parent struggling to understand an overwhelming new reality.
