Harry Styles on Zayn Malik: ‘It’s Time To Move On’ From One Direction Controversy, Source Says

Harry Styles wants fans to move on from the Zayn Malik-One Direction controversy, according to reports.

Unfortunately, Styles is making it difficult for fans to forget about what appears to be a growing feud between the former 1D band mates.

On Monday, Hollywood Life reported that Styles is so fed up with the Zayn Malik controversy that he never wants to hear Malik’s name again. According to a source for Hollywood Life, Harry jokingly says he’d be happier if he never had to talk about Zayn again.

“Harry is so incredibly over the Zayn controversy. He doesn’t want to be asked about it in interviews and really doesn’t think fans need to be obsessing about it anymore. He jokes that he doesn’t even want to hear Zayn’s name again. They had their time together, Zayn made his decision and the band has moved on. It’s time for everyone in the world to move on as well.”

The comments from Hollywood Life‘s source come after Zayn Malik reportedly told Fader that One Direction’s music is “uncool.”

“Would you listen to One Direction at a party with your girl? I wouldn’t. To me, that’s not an insult, that’s me as a 22-year-old man. As much as I was in that band, and I loved everything that we did, that’s not music that I would listen to.”

The report from Hollywood Life also follows an incident which saw Harry Styles kick a cardboard cutout of his former 1D band mate while Styles was performing in Mexico. During a One Direction concert, a fan threw a cutout of Zayn Malik onto the stage and Harry Styles can be seen kicking the cutout back into the audience while fellow 1D band member Louis Tomlinson smiles and claps.

Of course, a separate Hollywood Life report indicates that Harry Styles kicked Zayn Malik’s face off stage simply because it’s necessary for the stage to be clear of debris, which totally makes sense. Nevertheless, some media outlets have questioned whether there is bad blood between the two former band mates.

Zayn Malik left One Direction in March after nearly five years with the band. At the time, Malik said he was leaving the band because “he had to do what feels right in my heart.” In an official statement, Malik went on to say:

“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.”

At the time, Malik called 1D band mates Styles, Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam Payne “friends for life,” and shortly after the announcement was made, Styles was seen crying about Malik’s departure. See it in the following video. (Article continues below.)

Since leaving 1D, however, Zayn Malik has done anything but “have private time out of the spotlight.” As a result of his high-profile engagement and breakup to Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards, Malik has been a permanent fixture in tabloid headlines. More recently, his alleged relationship with model Gigi Hadid has generated headlines.

And, of course, there’s the Fader interview from earlier this year, where Malik more or less slams the work done he did while working with his One Direction band mates.

What do you think of Harry Styles’ plea to move on from the so-called Zayn Malik controversy? Do you think One Direction is better without Zayn? Do you think the other 1D members believe in the music they’re making? Why or why not?

Also, do you think there is bad blood between Zayn Malik and Harry Styles? Is there a real feud here?

Find out more about Zayn Malik’s departure from One Direction earlier this year.

[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]