Zayn Malik left One Direction "to be a normal 22-year-old," but his fiancée Perrie Edwards may have played a role in his decision to leave one of the most successful boy bands.
"The X Factor" judge Louis Walsh recently told Ireland's RTE Radio One that if Edwards has Malik's ear, she may have fed him ideas about taking on a larger role in his career.
"What I found is as things get on and as they get girlfriends, the girlfriends are whispering things in their ears and saying things like, 'You should be a solo star,' and 'You should be the lead singer.' That's usually the problem," Walsh said (via the UK's Express).
Malik proposed to the Little Mix singer in 2013. Shortly before his announcement to leave the band, pictures leaked of him cozying up to a girl while partying in Thailand. Soon after he tweeted and apology to his fans and fiancée that read, "I'm 22 years old... I love a girl named Perrie Edwards. And there's a lot of f***s in this world I'm sorry for what it looks like x."
In his exit statement, Malik also said he wanted to "relax and have some private time out of the spotlight," most likely with Edwards. They both posted photos to their Instagram accounts from Perugia, Italy on Thursday, where they appear to be vacationing together.