Zayn Malik Leaving One Direction Tour Following Death in Family

Our hearts are heavy to announce this. Zayn Malik will be leaving the current One Direction tour after suffering a death in his family.

The Juice reports that Malik hasn't provided details on the loss, but his band mate Harry Styles announced the early exit on Twitter:

"Zayn has suffered a loss in his family & has had to go home for a few days so won't be at our next shows in the US..." He adds: "...Our thoughts are with him and his family at this sad time."

Within mere minutes, fans took to Twitter to show their support for Malik. A trending topic, "#StayStrongZayn," was created in his honor. Malik's only indirect mention of the loss came as a retweet from a fan: "God has no Phone, but I talk to him. He has no Facebook, but he is still my friend. He does not have a twitter, but I still follow him. ♥"

One Direction are currently on tour with Big Time Rush -- and stealing their headliners' spotlight at every turn. Toronto had to shut down its streets to accommodate all of their fans, affectionately called "Directioners." Malik proved himself to be quite a heartthrob within the group -- take a look at their live videos and listen to how loudly their Directioners scream during his powerful solos!

It's unclear for how long Malik will be absent or when he will return to tour, though based on Styles' announcement, it appears to be only a temporary leave. Our thoughts and prayers are with Malik and his family during this difficult time. Stay strong!