Fifth Harmony say they tried to encourage Camila Cabello to stay in the group for one more album - but their repeated advances were rejected.

The singer shocked fans by leaving the band recently, with the news breaking via a statement posted online by the remaining four members. On Monday (December 19), Cabello responded with her own message, telling fans she is following her "heart".

However, the four Fifth Harmony singers responded on Twitter to suggest Cabello's split has been a long time coming. They added that they even attempted organised group therapy in an attempt to keep the star in the band, but she did not turn up.

The pop outfit said: "Over the past several months, we have consistently made every effort to sit down and discuss the future of Fifth Harmony with Camila. We have spent the past year and a half (since her initial solo endeavor) trying to communicate to her and her team all of the reasons why we felt Fifth Harmony deserved at least one more album of her time, given the success of this past year that we'd all worked so hard for.

"We called for group meetings which she refused, we asked LA Reid and the label to step in and try to set meetings, which again, she refused. We even went as far as group counseling which she did not show up to. So no, after months of rejection from her and her team, these supposed lengthy conversations in fact never happened, although we pleaded.

"We have tried with exhausted efforts and hearts to keep this group alive as the five of us, and we want it to be very clear that unfortunately those efforts were not mutual."

The group added that they were told in mid-November that their Jingle Ball show in Miami on December 18 would be their last with Cabello.

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Watch clips from Fifth Harmony's last show as a five-piece below: