One Direction member Zayn Malik has recently decided to fly back to United Kingdom and leave the band's "On the Road Again" world tour to recuperate from stress, following an alleged cheating scandal.
An official statement posted by the group's publicist, Simon Jones of Hackford PR, reads, "Zayn has been signed off with stress and is flying back to the UK to recuperate. The band wish him well and will continue with their performances in Manila and Jakarta."
A recent report from People confirms that the singer has already arrived in the UK to spend time with his family. The news outlet also revealed that Malik's co-band members Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson are all "really worried about him" and are all "disappointed" that he is not with them, citing a "a source close to the group."
The said source also divulged that Tomlinson, who is "closest" to Malik, is the "most worried" of them and that all four of them do not want Malik to quit.
People and Us Weekly confirm that Malik's departure was also caused by recent cheating allegations pinned on him. People noted that among the group, the 22-year old singer "is the one who struggles dealing with being in the spotlight the most."
Earlier, we reported that there have been rumors of Zayn cheating on his fiancee, Perrie Edwards, after photos of him getting a little cozy with a blonde girl identified as Lauren Rich circulated online.
The singer apparently slammed rumors tweeting on Wednesday "I'm 22 years old... I love a girl named Perrie Edwards. And there's a lot of jealous f***s in this world I'm sorry for what it looks like."
People's source said the singer was no longer able to handle it and eventually "exploded" due to accusations and "constant craziness."
"The members are worried about him and his future with the group...We've been close to this moment a few times but when people started coming for his relationship with Perrie it really spooked him," Us Weekly's source said.
Us Weekly's source also stressed that the singer did not cheat on Edwards. "He did nothing wrong, no cheating, but those sorts of lies can be really damaging...He's wondering if this is a sign to move on from the band," the unidentified source added.
Meanwhile, mental health experts have commended Malik for his "frank" decision to air what he really feels, reports Independent.
"When you are a high profile celeb in the public eye, the stresses and strains are likely to be enormous...Many 'ordinary' people think that it must be easy street at the top, but there are different pressures; living in a goldfish bowl where your every action, word, tweet and nose-scratch is observed, commented on and shared must present an enormous strain," Dr. Sandi Mann of University of Central Lancashire was quoted in the Independent report as saying.
"We all experience stress at some point in our lives but there are some professions which are more pressured. Being a celebrity, particularly a music artist, is a demanding career path which often requires long days, high productivity and media scrutiny. Lack of sleep and being subject to public criticism is likely to impact on one's mood and self-esteem," explained Dr. Georgina M. Hosang of Goldsmiths University.
It is still unknown when Zayn will be back with the band or if he will rejoin One Direction in the tour. Nevertheless, the four One Direction members will continue with the tour. The band is scheduled to hit Manila's stage this weekend.
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