After the initial furore over Zayn Malik leaving One Direction after what looks like a serious amount of stress, the fallout got a little darker and more than a little worrying as #cutforzayn started trending on Twitter with a whole host of pictures of what appeared to be fans cutting their arms, some carving the singer’s name.
This obviously sparked fears of self harm, but also outrage that such a serious issue as cutting was being taken lightly – as many fans used the hashtag as hyperbole to express how upset they were at the singer’s departure.
Which only confirms the reasons he left. What 22 year old (or any age, for that matter) should have to deal with that level of hysteria? No wonder Zayn wants to be ‘a normal 22 year old’.
We spoke to Childline to see if any special measures would be taken for young fans finding it difficult to cope.
‘If children are upset they can call Childline or use our website or text service. We’re not doing a special line, but if children are upset about Zayn leaving One Direction, they can get in tough 24 hours a day.’
Zayn Malik’s departure was announced on the band’s Facebook page last night, nearly breaking the internet in the process.
‘I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight,’ said Zayn in the statement. ‘I know I have four friends for life in Louis, Liam, Harry and Niall. I know they will continue to be the best band in the world.’
While it came as a shock to fans, it’s also been a long time coming – Zayn has had to miss out on live performances due to stress, was spotted looking thin and gaunt, and seemed to be struggling with fame more than his bandmates. There have also been rumours that he and his fiance, Perrie Edwards from Little Mix, were having some problems after he was pictured with another girl in Thailand.
It seems that the departure has also hit his fellow bandmates pretty hard too – during a performance last night, Harry Styles broke down in tears on stage, and a fan caught it on camera.
This sort of puts things in perspective. While the rest of the world is freaking out on an industrial scale, it’s really about the five guys in One Direction who have been on a long, and incredibly weird, journey together that now appears to be coming to an end for one of them.
Zayn’s clearly been struggling, and we really hope that he gets the help he needs. Or, at the very least, has a good long sleep and a nice cup of tea.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.