On Wednesday, March 25, One Direction issued an official statement on their Facebook page regarding the departure of Zayn Malik from the band.

Malik tried out for The X Factor UK in 2010 as a solo artist, and later became a part of the band One Direction with four other boys – Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Liam Payne.

In 2013, Malik got engaged to Perrie Edwards, one of the singers in British girl group, Little Mix. Over the month of March, he faced rumors that he cheated on Edwards with another blonde women thought to be model, Lauren Richardson.

Malik’s last concert with the band was on March 18 in Hong Kong, where he was seen crying during their performance of “Little Things.”

After not appearing at three concerts, the statement was released. It opened with, “After five incredible years Zayn Malik has decided to leave One Direction.”

The announcement included a quote from Malik who said, “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…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.”

The On the Road Again Tour started in 2015, featuring their newest album “Four.” For now, the four boys will continue the tour while attempting to fill in for Malik’s parts. They are in the process of recording their 5th album said to be released in 2015.

The fans were disappointed. However, many of them remained faithful and attended the concerts featuring the remaining four boys.