After a skeptical few weeks regarding Zayn Malik’s absence from One Direction, the founding member announced his departure in a statement today.
Zayn Malik follows in the footsteps of the Spice Girls’ Geri Halliwell, leaving the remaining four members of One Direction to carry on the tour without his participation.
Following our previous report that Zayn Malik took time off from touring, the band officially announced Wednesday afternoon that Zayn is leaving the group. As mentioned in our original story, since no return date was announced, this seemed inevitable.
The good news is that fans can still see the four remaining members Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson on tour. The band still expects to release their fifth album this year. There is no word on whether or not it will be delayed due to Malik’s absence.
The band, Malik, and Simon Cowell released the following statement:
After five incredible years Zayn Malik has decided to leave One Direction. Niall, Harry, Liam and Louis will continue as a four-piece and look forward to the forthcoming concerts of their world tour and recording their fifth album, due to be released later this year.
Zayn says: “My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band. I’d like to apologise to the fans if I’ve let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart. 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. I know I have four friends for life in Louis, Liam, Harry and Niall. I know they will continue to be the best band in the world.”
One Direction say: “We’re really sad to see Zayn go, but we totally respect his decision and send him all our love for the future. The past five years have been beyond amazing, we’ve gone through so much together, so we will always be friends. The four of us will now continue. We’re looking forward to recording the new album and seeing all the fans on the next stage of the world tour.”
Simon Cowell says: “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.”
It seems that Malik wishes to also keep his relationship with fiancé, Perri Edwards, out of the spotlight (“I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time”). We do not think his life will return to normal as quickly as he hopes, but we do hope he finds what he is looking for in his time away.
When Malik auditioned for the X Factor he stated that he was “looking for an experience.” Perhaps he got a bit more than he bargained for. Watch his original audition and the boot camp part of his X Factor experience below:
We wish Zayn all the best in his career outside of One Direction.