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Zayn Malik Leaves One Direction To Pursue A Life Of Normalcy

It's a sad day for Directioners everywhere. Almost a week after leaving One Direction's tour, Zayn Malik has decided to leave the band altogether after a five-year run.

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One Direction broke the news via Facebook this afternoon. Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson plan to carry on as a foursome. Zayn stated that he is 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." Read One Direction's official statement on Facebook here.

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After five incredible years Zayn Malik has decided to leave OneDirection. Niall, Harry, Liam and Louis will continue as... Posted by One Direction on Wednesday, March 25, 2015

It was rumored earlier this week that Zayn would quit the band. His decision to follow through with it comes after a storm of cheating rumors last week spawning from pictures of Zayn with a girl other than his fiancee, Little Mix member Perrie Edwards, that surfaced in tabloids. Zayn has long battled for privacy despite his celebrity, and deleted his Twitter for some time in 2012. Take a look at some of Twitter's reactions to the news.

[Photo: Getty Images]