Jaymi Hensley has released a sensational statement announcing her departure from Union J, weeks after the band infuriated fans by canceling their comeback tour.

The singer, 33, made the announcement on Tuesday evening, taking to Twitter to address his 309,000 followers.

In a lengthy post, Jaymi claimed he couldn’t “sit back and watch the legacy I tried to maintain for a decade later.”

He also thanked the band’s fans for their unwavering support, saying it was the “main reason why I was such a driving force in the band.”

The post had not been acknowledged by fellow band members George Shelley, JJ Hamblett and Josh Cuthbert or even the band’s official Twitter account at the time of publication.

His statement in full reads: “To all Union J fans, it is with the heaviest of hearts that I must say that I am no longer continuing my journey as a member of Union J. .

“Since day one, our family of fans has given me love, light and support and has been the main reason why I am such a driving force within the group.”

Referring to their sold-out reunion show at the London Palladium, he continued: “Last year was the best year of my life being back on stage with the boys and being in front of you all again.”

“I was hoping and dreaming of all the possibilities afterwards, but it didn’t happen for a number of reasons, and so, out of love and respect for the fan family and my integrity as an artist, I can’t not sit back and watch the legacy I tried to maintain for a decade rot away.

“I will continue to make art, integrity and creativity my driving force, but now is the time to focus the energy I have consistently invested in Union J and create art and music so we can all enjoy it together.

“I really love you, forever yours.”

The group formed in 2011, originally as a trio known as Triple J, consisting of JJ, Jaymi and Josh, but when auditioning for The X Factor the following year, George joined the group at the request of the judges.

The renamed Union J then came fourth in the competition and went on to sign a recording contract with Sony.

They were first signed to RCA Records and released their first single in June 2013.

George left the band in 2016 and was replaced by Stereo Kicks singer and Ex On The Beach star Casey Johnson, but bosses soon let him go.

Two years later, Josh also left the group, with remaining stars JJ and Jaymi posting a series of angry messages hitting the star.

In his sad announcement, Josh wrote, “My journey with Union J was unforgettable and something I will treasure forever. But after seven years, I feel like it’s the right time for me to leave the band.

“I would like to apologize to my fans if I let anyone down, but I have to do what’s right for me and follow my heart. I decided to leave, because I want to continue developing my individual opportunities through entertainment and music…

“I have so many great memories with them and have lifelong friends in the boys and wish JJ and Jaymi the best for the future. Thank you for your continued support, it is thanks to all of you that I am where I am today and you all mean everyone to me.

His bandmates tweeted and deleted a host of raging messages in response to the news, in snaps captured by a fan before they were deleted.

The official account posted messages saying, “Things should have been handled differently. This declaration should have been sent to you in the form of a joint declaration.

“Unfortunately, once again, this decision was made in personal matters…There is no beef, things just should have been handled differently.” Not cool.’

Jaymi and JJ continued the group as a duo before the group officially broke up in 2019.

They announced a reunion gig last year which saw Josh and George join the band for a one off show.

They were due to perform another comeback tour in May, but fans became furious last month after they canceled the tour without any public announcement.

They were due to perform in Newcastle, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and Liverpool.

But taking to Twitter, one fan was furious after receiving an email saying her ticket to the concert at the Liverpool Empire Theater had been refunded.

The email read: “Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, the promoters of the show have made the difficult decision to cancel the performance which was scheduled to take place on June 03, 2023.

“We understand the disappointment this will cause and apologize for any inconvenience.”

Hitting the group, the fan captioned the post: “The silence from them on all of this is actually disrespectful.”

Union J later claimed they were told to shut up after their shows were canceled, and Jaymi claimed it was “the worst weekend ever”.

They released a statement which read: ‘We were strongly advised not to say anything, but we now realize that was not the best decision or the best advice.

“We are truly sorry for any upset that has caused. We’ll bring you more news as soon as we can.

“We truly love and appreciate our fans more than anything and playing for you live is what we live for.

“Once again a million apologies, this weekend has been tough for all of us as well as for you guys. We’ll catch up to you soon.