Zayn Malik has changed his Twitter handle, and One Direction fans are heartbroken all over again.
According to USA Today , the former member of One Direction took a big step by removing the “1D” from his Twitter handle this week, sending adoring fans into a frenzy. It’s unknown why Zayn waited until now to change his Twitter name, but many feel as though it has reopened wounds that many of his fans were just starting to heal.
While the move was pretty much expected, it forced One Direction lovers (known as Directioners) to come to terms with the fact that Zayn is really gone, and that he’s probably not coming back.
@zaynmalik you’ve taken 1D off your handle #ZaynMalik1DForever
— Stephanie Young (@stephanie_j_y) May 1, 2015
This Is the Most Heartbreaking Zayn Malik News We’ve Heard Yet http://t.co/vDP5LEMv5M via @TeenVogue
— Angel Springfield (@AngelAngelmaye1) May 1, 2015
Stephen Hawking, please bring on that other universe. Because @zaynmalik has up & dropped 1D from his Twitter handle. http://t.co/rYgZrU6tAW
— Kim Willis (@kwillis_kim) May 1, 2015
@zaynmalik no more 1d in your Twitter handle
— Shehpar Sohail (@shehps) May 1, 2015
Zayn Malik didn’t talk about changing his handle, he just did it. He hasn’t responded to the thousands of messages that have been sent his way, and he likely won’t. As previously reported by the Inquisitr , the 22-year-old decided to leave the group , which was put together by Simon Cowell on X Factor U.K., in March.
“My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band. I’d like to apologize 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. I know I have four friends for life in Louis, Liam, Harry, and Niall. I know they will continue to be the best band in the world,” Zayn said in a statement.
Now that Zayn Malik has a new Twitter handle (it’s just his name), it really feels like he’s gone. According to the New York Daily News, fans have come together to make “#YouWillAlwaysBeZaynMalik1D” become a Twitter trend , letting Zayn know exactly how they feel about the small change he made, and just how big of an impact it has on them.
[Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images]
