Zayn Malik is worried that the ‘beyond damaging’ footage of his fight with former bandmate Louis Tomlinson will leak.
The singers reportedly came to blows while filming a One Direction reunion for Netflix, over a remark Malik made about Tomlinson’s late mum.
It’s unknown what was said but Tomlinson’s mum, Johannah Deakin, died of Leukemia in 2016.
Sources claim Malik, 33, punched his bandmate, 34, in the face, causing cuts and a concussion and halting filming for good.
Now, an insider has told The Sun, Netflix insisted on cancelling the series after the Pillowtalk singer ‘crossed the line’.
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‘The moment Zayn hit Louis and made a derogatory comment about his mum Johannah was all filmed,’ they claimed.
They continued: ‘Zayn and Louis know footage exists and the production company has it. If it became public, it could be beyond damaging for Zayn’s image.
‘The series was supposed to capture a raw insight into Zayn and Louis’ relationship but this crossed a line.’
Following the attack, Tomlinson left for the UK while Malik returned to his farm in Pennsylvania, and the pair haven’t spoken in six months.
It appears that the Palaces singer has now unfollowed his former bandmate on Instagram, but Malik still follows him.
Another source told The Sun that Malik, who has lived permanently in the US since 2018, is beginning to get a reputation for cancelled projects.
He recently had to cancel a Q&A in celebration of his new album at Circuit, Kingston, with hours’ notice, later revealing he was being treated by cardiologists.
Posting a pic of himself in a hospital bed, Malik wrote: ‘I’m really sorry, but unfortunately I am sick, and I won’t be able to make it to the UK this week as planned.’
The show was rescheduled for May 21, with the singer promising they were ‘working on getting each of your info as well to send you something.’
The insider said behind the scenes, there is ‘deep concern’ for Malik’s welfare, citing his ‘private demons’ which he struggles with.
They claimed he has isolated himself, adding: ‘Friends have long been worried about his use of marijuana and how much time he spends entirely alone.’
Fans had been incredibly excited to see Malik and Tomlinson reunite after several years, especially following the shocking death of Liam Payne.
The mystery project was first revealed in September, when fans snapped images of the duo hanging out in Tennessee, playing darts in a bar.
They posed with fans, seeming in good spirits, as a camera crew filmed them for the then-unannounced docuseries.
Reunion rumours have been bubbling for the four members of One Direction but each has embarked on a solo project so far, other than the docuseries.
It seems the former boy band members are not yet ready to revisit the group without Payne, who was a huge supporter of reuniting.
Each member has spoken about the impact of his death during interviews ahead of their album releases; however, it’s still very raw for most of the lads.
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Metro has reached out to Malik and Tomlinson’s team for comment.