Attention One Directioners - Liam Payne is once again a single man. A source close to the 22-year-old singer confirmed to the Daily Mail that Payne and girlfriend Sophia Smith have called it quits after two years of dating.
"Liam and Sophia have split," the source said. "Liam is incredibly sad but is going to keep busy. He really hopes that everybody will respect both his and Sophia's privacy and stop speculating."
Coincidentally, Payne's breakup news comes days after One Direction were forced to cancel a show in Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the last minute because Payne reportedly felt too ill to perform. Over the weekend, Payne posted a cryptic message on his Twitter account, which seemed to confirm the news about his breakup.
"I love how music is always there for you when you need it most x," he posted.
Payne and Smith first met at St. Peter's Collegiate School in Wolverhampton, England, according to the Daily Mail, and they began dating in 2013. The couple's breakup also comes weeks after Payne revealed to Attitude Magazine that he and Smith had started talking about their future together, including possibly getting married, but he added that they were too young.
"We have talked about marriage, but 22 seems a bit young for us," he said. "Sophia needs to go off and do what she wants to do. I don't want her to be one of those stay-at-home girlfriends who doesn't really do much."
While several reports suggested a mystery illness kept Payne from performing, a source told The Sun that Payne had a meltdown before heading to the stage and is having trouble coping with being famous.
"The pressure of fame and being on the road for two years have made Liam ill," the source said. "He wasn't physically able to get on stage. He had a complete meltdown."
