I mean if we’re being honest, we really should’ve seen Zayn Malik leaving One Direction coming a very long time ago. In retrospect, there were plenty of times where the signs were right in our face. Allow me to prove it to you.
1. This horrid denim jacket. What are those arm cuffs? Why is it half the length of his torso? I’d leave, too.
2. The fact that he met 50 CENT and could barely muster a smirk. (Wasn’t that every sixth grader’s dream? Did he even go to middle school?)
3. Do you see his eyes? It’s apparent that he’s a struggling drug addict. And the all black outfit? A goth drug addict. Even worse.
4. Clearly smoking cigarettes was more important to him then preserving his voice for One Direction.
5. Here he is giving the middle finger to the paparazzi. This obviously shows how much he hated One Direction and One Direction fans. How could we be so blind?
6. Here he is crying. It’s clear that it’s because he felt stuck in the band and felt that he wasn’t becoming successful enough. Sad.
7. Well, to be fair, if someone turned me into a cringey internet meme, I’d quit my career too.
8. Here he is smoking the marijuana. Maybe quitting the band was a good choice, it might prevent him from overdosing on the devil’s lettuce. So tragic.
9. His miserable facial expressions on stage when he was forced to listen to his own music.
10. This was the photo that finally made him quit. Done deal. Game over.