Zayn Malik 'grateful' to One Direction despite silence on 10th anniversary

One Direction fans were left disheartened on a day filled with memories, nostalgia and love for the five boys.

While Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson all penned touching tributes that stirred an emotional response on social media, it was Zayn Malik’s silence on the special occasion that somehow managed to echo the loudest.

The internet was left divided on July 23, with a number of people pleading the Pillow Talk crooner to acknowledge the anniversary, many disgruntled over the snub and some respecting his decision to keep mum given the fact that the singer has previously expressed how his time with the band had taken a toll on his mental health with attacks on his Islamic faith and Pakistani heritage.

A report by The Sun may have disclosed why the soon-to-be father decided to let the day go by without any acknowledgement.

“Zayn is of course grateful for One Direction for giving him the platform it did, but he’s a solo artist now. He’s working on new music and wants to cut ties so he’s taken seriously in his own lane,” the outlet cited a source as saying.

The 27-year-old parted ways with his four bandmates back in 2015 as he wanted to be a “normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight.”

Back in 2018, he told British Vogue that he had hadn’t been in contact with the fellow members after they made “snide” remarks about him.

“I ain’t spoke to any of them for a long time, to be honest with you. That’s just the way it is. There’s things that happen and things that were said after I left. Snide things. Small things that I would never have expected,” he said.