Camila Cabello Explained Why She Left Fifth Harmony While the Band Was Still Successful
The group was reunited in 2025, after almost a decade of attempting to build separate careers in music.
Published Sept. 2 2025, 2:18 p.m. ET

Famous singer Camila Cabello took her first steps into the music industry thanks to Fifth Harmony. The group also featured Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane, and Lauren Jauregui. The girls were discovered through the second season of The X Factor, with the competition series effectively serving as the launchpad for their careers.
Fifth Harmony appeared to be working well together, but that changed after a few years of the group remaining in the spotlight.
Camila eventually parted ways with Fifth Harmony, leaving the band with only four active members. The split led to the young singer building her solo trajectory. Nevertheless, the separation was surrounded by plenty of controversy.
Why did Camila Cabello leave Fifth Harmony? Here's what we know about the reasons that led the talented singer to leave the beloved group.
Why did Camila Cabello leave Fifth Harmony?
According to E! News, Camila Cabello revealed on the Call Her Daddy podcast why she left Fifth Harmony many years ago. "I started distancing myself from the group vision," the singer said, "and it felt like you know they were still really passionate and into that and so, I was just like, ‘I'm not happy here anymore, it doesn't feel aligned.'" She also said that she found herself waking up early to write songs on GarageBand and discovered a passion for writing. She realized that she wanted to sing those songs by herself.
Fifth Harmony released a statement through their social media accounts after the split happened. The group stated that, rather than Camila talking to her bandmates, their representatives informed Ally, Normani, Dinah, and Lauren that Camila would no longer be working for them in order to pursue a solo career.
The post made it clear that, while Camila was in fact leaving Fifth Harmony, the group would move forward with their remaining shows and the production of new music.

The statement was posted in the middle of the night back in late 2016, shocking the fans who were still online to see it. The band went on to produce only one studio album without the presence of Camila Cabello, with the self-titled production only featuring two singles as part of its promotion.
It would take Camila more than a year after the separation to launch her solo debut record.
Camila responded to Fifth Harmony's statement.
After Fifth Harmony made their statement public, Camila Cabello was quick to deliver her own version of the story. According to E! News, the singer had discussed plans related to a solo career with her bandmates before the split. The performer went as far as to say that she never meant to leave Fifth Harmony in such a hostile manner.
Camila mentioned that she was grateful for her time at Fifth Harmony, but she stood by her choice.
It's relevant to point out that the pop star also said that Fifth Harmony finding out about her exit through her representatives was simply not true. Despite the controversy, Camila was more than ready to move on towards the next chapter of her career as an artist.
The result turned out to be marvelous for Camila. Since she left the band, the performer has launched four studio albums.
Camila Cabello has also been at the center of successful collaborations. The singer began dating Shawn Mendes in the summer of 2019. When their relationship was accused of being a publicity stunt by fans, they released a song called "Señorita."
The single took over musical charts all over the world, with "Señorita" becoming one of Camila's biggest hits. The former Fifth Harmony star continues to take her name to new heights, while her former bandmates haven't enjoyed the same amount of success.