It’s been four years since Zayn Malik, 26, left One Direction, and Louis Tomlinson, 26, still has some lingering resentment over how the “Pillowtalk” singer bailed on the band. When asked by Metro if he could forgive Zayn, Louis said, “I just don’t think I am mature enough, even in my own head, to give that a real answer. At the moment, I am still pretty mad about the whole thing. I don’t think he [Zayn] handled it very well. But never say never. Who knows? He chatted a lot of sh*t in the early days. I thought One Direction were pretty good.”
After leaving the band, Zayn admitted in 2017 that he distanced himself from his former mates – Louis, Harry Styles, Niall Horan — save for the occasional chit-chat with Liam Payne. Louis and Zayn reconnected briefly after Louis’ mother, Johannah Deakin, passed away. “We got back in touch with each other and kind of cleared the air and talked everything through,” Louis said in 2017. “So we’re mates again, I suppose. Like anything like that, it takes time. But it was nice that we had an opportunity to clear the air and be adults about it.” However, this peace was short-lived. Though the two chatted after Johannah’s death, Louis said on The Dan Wooton Interview podcast that their relationship “never really got better.”
“I had a couple of calls with him after I lost my mum,” said Louis. Three days after his mother died, Louis gave an emotional performance on The X Factor, and his former bandmates – except Zayn – were there to support him. “[A]ll the boys had agreed to come to that performance and he didn’t show, so that really bugged me. … I’ve got goosebumps now. It was just seeing everyone there — Harry, Niall, and Liam—that was what I needed that night, that support. So on the other end of the spectrum, it kind of really showed. So, eh, I hope he’s alright, but…”
The chances of 1D reforming were slim, as each member seems busy with their own solo work. “Plus, there is some bad blood,” an insider told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “Until those emotions are resolved, the hurt feelings will stand in the way of doing a tour, new music, or any work together. …There is a definite divide between Zayn and the other guys, and until they can sit down, talk about things and sort out their differences, they simply will not be friendly at all.”