One Direction Breaking Up? Rumors Of Split Grow After Simon Cowell Talks About Group Taking ‘Time Apart’

One Direction could be breaking up for good, with rumors that a planned one-year hiatus may end up turning permanent.

The British boy band has faced rumors of a breakup for several months, dating back to Zayn Malik’s decision to leave the group and embark on his own.

That may be more likely now that Louis Tomlinson is about to become a father. It emerged last week that Tomlinson was expecting a baby with 23-year-old Briana Jungwirth, and that he was looking for a place in Los Angeles to be nearby.

While the pregnancy has many One Direction fans worried that it will lead to their breakup — especially if Tomlinson is stationed in Los Angeles rather than following the band on tour — Simon Cowell said he doesn’t think the pregnancy is too big of a deal for the band’s future.

“He didn’t kill anyone. He got someone pregnant,” he said. “It happens every day all over the world. Again, Louis has got great family around him and, look, it’s a plus, not a negative.”

One Direction may already been planning some time apart. Reports in June indicated that the group has already agreed to take a year off after promoting their fifth album, which is due out at the end of the year. Though a rep for the band told Billboard that there were no plans to take a break, many believe One Direction would be taking at least some time off.

Rumors of a possible split come just as One Direction celebrates their five-year anniversary as a group. The members came together after the members had applied to The X Factor as solo artists.

The anniversary had member Harry Styles in a grateful mood.

“We have been a band for five years And it is impossible to thank anyone enough for all the support they have given us over this time,” Harry wrote on Twitter on July 22. “All the crew that we have been so lucky to work with, and everyone who is behind the scenes. We thank you for everything that you do… To you who support us, in any way, thank you. We wouldn’t be here without you. You did this and we thank you for having us. All the love.”

The One Direction breakup rumors don’t appear to be pointing toward any immediate split. The band is still working on completing their album, which is expected out within a few months.

[Picture via Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images]