For years, the fervent fanbase of Fifth Harmony, affectionately known as Harmonizers, has clung to a singular hope: the return of the powerhouse girl group that delivered anthems like "Work from Home" and "Worth It." Now, after years of whispers, tantalizing hints, and a rollercoaster of public statements, the dream appears closer than ever to becoming a reality. The pulse of the situation feels like a sledgehammer, as The Hollywood Reporter dropped a bombshell on May 28, 2025: Fifth Harmony is reportedly in active discussions to reunite and embark on a tour in 2026. The catch? It's reportedly without Camila Cabello, who famously departed the group in 2016 to pursue her immensely successful solo career.
While official confirmation or denial of this highly anticipated report is yet to surface, this isn't the first time the rumor mill has churned with reunion prospects. The members themselves – Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane, and Lauren Jauregui – have, at various points, fueled Harmonizers' hopes, leading to a complex and often emotional narrative. To truly grasp the gravity of this potential comeback, it’s essential to look back at the intricate history of Fifth Harmony, marked by their meteoric rise, an impactful split, and a decade of individual journeys.
The Genesis of the Split: A Decisive December 2016
The initial fracture in Fifth Harmony's seemingly impenetrable bond became public on December 19, 2016. A statement shared on the group’s social media channels announced that Brooke, Normani, Jane, and Jauregui “have been informed via her representatives that Camila has decided to leave Fifth Harmony.” The remaining quartet, described as “four strong, committed women,” affirmed their intention to continue both as a group and in their burgeoning solo endeavors, extending a somewhat terse "We wish her well" to Cabello.
Camila, however, quickly contested this narrative, tweeting her "shock" at the announcement and asserting, "I did not intend to end things with Fifth Harmony this way.” Despite the differing accounts, she also extended olive branches, wishing her former bandmates “nothing but the best.”
The VMA Stunt and Lingering Hurt: August 2017
The lingering tension was dramatically underscored at the VMAs on August 27, 2017. Fifth Harmony took the stage as a quintet, only for a stand-in fifth member to fall backward and seemingly disappear from view. Two days later, on Good Morning America, the remaining members explained this was a symbolic gesture to convey their identity as a foursome. While Brooke stated they “wanted to show the world in an artistic way that ‘Hey, the four of us are Fifth Harmony,’” Cabello later admitted to The New York Times in January 2018 that the stunt "definitely hurt my feelings.”
The Indefinite Hiatus and First Signs of Mending Fences: March 2018 - October 2018
The group's journey as a quartet culminated on March 29, 2018, when Fifth Harmony announced an indefinite hiatus. The decision, they explained, was driven by a collective realization that they needed time for "solo endeavors" to "stay authentic to ourselves and to you.” This period of individual exploration also brought the first public signs of reconciliation, albeit subtle. On May 20, 2018, Normani and Cabello were pictured together at the Billboard Music Awards, a moment that sparked cautious optimism among fans.
Later that year, the door to a reunion was tentatively opened. On October 10, 2018, when asked by Entertainment Tonight about a potential return, Ally Brooke stated, "You never know what can happen… I would say we’re all probably leaving the door open.” Dinah Jane echoed this sentiment on October 31, 2018, telling Entertainment Tonight that "it would be cool" to collaborate, even playfully suggesting, "I’m like, ‘Feature me. I know you want me on your records, girls!’” She added that she and Lauren Jauregui "talk about it all the time.”
Subtle Nods and Drifting Paths: April 2019 - February 2020
The subsequent years saw fleeting moments of nostalgic connection. April 4, 2019, brought viral social media footage of Jauregui and Jane singing "Work From Home" at karaoke in Indonesia, while Cabello herself danced to "Worth It" on her Instagram Story on April 8, 2019. However, any illusion of close ties was dispelled on August 6, 2019, when Cabello revealed to Variety that she was not in touch with the remaining members. She clarified, “It’s not because there’s any animosity left,” but rather their lives had "drifted" in different directions. She maintained, "But if I saw any of them at an awards show, I would say hi and it would be totally cool. It feels like there’s been a reset just because of the amount of time that’s passed.”
A more poignant moment arrived on February 28, 2020, when Normani candidly reflected on the racist bullying she endured from some Fifth Harmony fans, as well as the resurfaced racist posts from Cabello, for which Cabello had apologized in December 2019. Normani stated, “It took days for her to acknowledge what I was dealing with online and then years for her to take responsibility for the offensive tweets that recently resurfaced. Whether or not it was her intention, this made me feel like I was second to the relationship that she had with her fans.”
Healing and Hope: May 2021 - November 2024
The narrative took a more positive turn in May 2021, when Ally Brooke, on her podcast, admitted she "didn’t enjoy" her time in Fifth Harmony due to "so much toxicity, so much abuse of power, so much mental abuse, verbal abuse.” While this shed light on past struggles, it also paved the way for open dialogue.
By April 8, 2022, Cabello told Reuters that her contact with her ex-bandmates was now "limited but positive." "We have been like supportive of each other through like DMs and stuff,” she said, confirming she was “in a really good place” with them.
Then, in October 2023, the reunion rumors intensified. On October 3, Ally Brooke told E! News that she “100 percent” saw herself reuniting with her former bandmates, even nodding when asked if a comeback would happen "sooner than we think." However, she quickly moved to manage fan expectations, tweeting on October 4, 2023, that while "reunion has many meanings" and "no official band reunion happening at the moment," "some beautiful friendships and relationships are slowly reuniting in a healing and empowering way.” A month later, on November 28, 2023, Brooke told Billboard she hadn't seen her bandmates in a while, hinting, "I’m trying to reunite with them, so I think some sort of reunion may happen.”
The most direct rumors involving Cabello emerged on March 1, 2024, when "Page Six" reported that Fifth Harmony was in reunion talks, with Cabello reportedly part of the early conversations, following a viral TikTok resurgence of "All in My Head (Flex)." However, Rolling Stone swiftly debunked this, citing multiple sources who confirmed no such reunion was in the works. On March 6, 2024, Cabello addressed her exit on the Call Her Daddy podcast, explaining she "started distancing" herself from the "group vision" when she realized she was "not happy here anymore, it doesn’t feel aligned.” She now remembers the "really joyful times." Simultaneously, when asked about reunion rumors at the Billboard Women in Music Awards, Brooke and Jane remained coy, focusing on their current presence.
June 10, 2024, saw Normani stating to Billboard that she was unaware of any immediate reunion plans, yet she, too, kept the door open, saying she could "definitely see that being a possibility in the future" and that it "would be a special moment for sure.” A friendly photo of Cabello and Normani at Paris Fashion Week on September 28, 2024, further suggested mending bonds.
Finally, November 2024 brought two lighthearted but telling moments: Ally Brooke lip-syncing "First off, bitch, mind your business" on TikTok when asked about a reunion, and Lauren Jauregui confirming to People on November 9, 2024, that she still had "a lot of love" for the group, adding, "The four of us talk here and there.” While not ruling out new music "in the future at some point," she emphasized her current focus on her solo career.
The 2025 Bombshell: A Reunion Without Camila?
This brings us to the present: May 28, 2025. The Hollywood Reporter, citing multiple sources, reports that Fifth Harmony is indeed in talks to reunite in 2026, with a tour being planned for a documentary about their return. Crucially, the report specifies this reunion is without Camila Cabello. Ally Brooke’s husband, Will Bracey—who met Brooke while serving as Fifth Harmony’s tour manager and is now the chief operating officer of Justin Bieber’s family office—is reportedly being considered to manage the reunited group.
The prospect of Fifth Harmony's return, even in a new iteration, is undoubtedly exhilarating for Harmonizers worldwide. This potential comeback, rooted in a decade of shared history, individual growth, and evolving relationships, signals a new chapter for one of pop's most captivating girl groups. The stage is being set, and while the lineup may be different, the promise of harmonizing together again, a decade after their initial split, is a testament to their enduring legacy and the persistent power of pop music.
