Many fans of One Direction still can't get over the fact that Zayn Malik has left the group. Back in March, Malik left the boy band right in the middle of their world tour, citing stress as the reason for his departure. But now, his band mate Liam Payne is talking about the real reason why he has left the band. 

Malik has said time and again that he left the famous group because he wanted to live life as "a normal 22 year old," but people didn't accept that as a reason. Now that he has been spotted with music producer Naughty Boy, many are speculating that he left so he could launch a solo career. 

But behind all the speculations, there has always been the thought that Perrie Edwards, Malik's fiancée, could be to blame, and in an interview with the U.K.'s "Capital Breakfast Show," as quoted by the Daily Mail, Payne has confirmed the thoughts that have swirled in every Directioner's mind.  

"It's like any other job, really — sometimes you have to move on because you're not enjoying what you're doing as much," Payne told host Lisa Snowdon. "He wanted to spend time with his family and his missus. That's cool with us." 

Prior to Payne's revelation, many fans have blamed Edwards for Malik's departure, with some comparing her to Yoko Ono, John Lennon's widow, who was believed to be the reason for The Beatles' split. 

"X-Factor" judge Louis Walsh shared his thoughts about the matter on Ireland's RTE Radio One, saying, "What I found in the past is as things get on, and as they get girlfriends, the girlfriends are whispering things in their ears and saying like, 'You should be the solo star.' 'You should be the lead singer'. That's usually the problem." 

Although Edwards and Malik have yet to comment on Payne's statement, the two appear to be very happy as the Little Mix band member is now posting pictures of herself with her fiancé on Instagram. Soon after Malik left the band, he enjoyed a vacation with Edwards in the South of France and soon posted pictures of them looking very cozy during the trip. 

Payne admitted that he misses Malik, but he knows that he "had to do what he had to do, really, for himself." 

As for One Direction, Payne said, "We're just going to carry on doing what we're doing. We wish [Zayn] all the best with whatever he goes into. We'll just have to see what happens."