“After five incredible years, Zayn Malik has decided to leave One Direction,” the band announced on their Facebook page. The announcement was then tweeted, informing their 22.9 million followers.
Niall, Harry, Louis, and Liam plan to continue as One Direction and are expected to release their new album later this year. They will also continue their world tour without Zayn. The band states they are really sad to see Zayn leave but they respect his decision.
One Direction signed with Simon Cowell after they left The X-Factor in 2010. Simon Cowell released the following statement, “I would like to say thank you to Zayn for everything he has done for One Direction. Since I first met Zayn in 2010, I have grown very, very fond—and immensely proud—of him. I have seen him grow in confidence and I am truly sorry to see him leave. As for One Direction, fans can rest assured that Niall, Liam, Harry and Louis are hugely excited about the future of the band.“
Zayn Malik recently announced his engagement, following rumors of infidelity after being photographed with another girl. However, Zayn defended his relationship to the press. Another reason he decided to leave the tour was because of an overwhelming amount of stress.“I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight,” he said.
Although he will be missed, it appears as though most support his decision.