"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," Malik said in a statement on One Direction's Facebook page.
The decision came days after he was forced to assure fans he had not cheated on his fiancé Perrie Edwards of Little Mix, having been spotted getting close with ‘Essex girl’ Lauren Richardson while on a night out in Phuket, Thailand.
Read: Pakistani-British sensation Zayn Malik embroiled in 'cheating’ controversy
After being snapped with his arm around a young woman at Seduction nightclub in Phuket, Thailand, the 22-year-old took to the Twitter to proclaim his love for Perrie, 21.
Zayn who attained fame after becoming a member of British/Irish boy band One Direction, said, ‘I’m sorry for what it looks like…I love Perrie!’ referring to fiancee Perrie Edwards, the Little Mix singer, after the imagery stirred emotions deep.
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