“After five incredible years Zayn Malik has decided to leave One Direction,” the band said on its Facebook page and tweeted out to its 22.9 million Twitter.
Rumors about such a move had started since Malik left the band’s tour last week. At the time, a rep told Rolling Stone he had “been signed off with stress” after a scandal erupted following the publication of a photo showing Malik holding hands with someone other than his fiancee.
The band’s Wikipedia page was also quickly updated with a sentence, “Zayn Malik was formerly a member.”
Malik, 22, has been part of the very popular British boy band since it was formed (at the urging of Simon Cowell, according to some stories) in 2010 after members auditioned separately for the UK version of “The X Factor.” Cowell became a mentor and signed them to his label. The group has put out four albums, and its hits include “Best Song Ever” and “Story of My Life.”
The group’s latest album, “Four,” came out in November.
