Zayn Malik is cutting his ties with One Direction, a month after he announced that he was quitting the band. On Thursday, the 22-year-old singer changed his Twitter handle – removing '1D' from the end of his name.The vocalist, whose account is now simply named @zaynmalik, also deleted a link to One Direction's official website from the biography section of his social media account.
© Photo: TwitterZayn's updated profile caused a stir on the social media website
Understandably, Zayn's updated profile caused a commotion among his dedicated 14.7million followers.The hashtag #YouWillAlwaysBeZaynMalik1D began trending worldwide, and many users commented that Zayn's exit from the band had now become more real. "March 25th: Zayn Malik physically left One Direction. April 30th: Zayn Malik mentally left One Direction," wrote one fan, while another added: "Okay I'm even more sad than before #YouWillAlwaysBeZaynMalik1D."
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe singer is cutting ties with One Direction
Zayn has been moving on with his life following his surprise departure from the band.As well as a solo career, Zayn appears to be branching out into film; on Tuesday director Gurinder Chadha shared a picture of herself with Zayn and revealed that the pair had met up to discuss working together on a movie projectThe Bradford-born star has also changed his appearance of late – shaving his head and getting his nose pierced.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe band have soldiered on without Zayn
The news that none of One Direction's millions of fans wanted to hear came on 25 March when Zayn released a statement announcing that his time with the band had come to an end."My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined," he said. "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."
