Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson, former members of One Direction, have set social media buzzing after being spotted together, allegedly working on something. For longtime fans, the reunion of ‘Zouis’ (Zayn and Louis) feels almost as exciting as the idea of the full band getting back together.
What makes this potential reunion even more intense is the history of tension between the two. For those who don’t know the backstory—but love the drama (or are ready to relive it)—here’s the short version of what happened between Malik and Tomlinson after Zayn’s exit from the band.
When Zayn announced he was leaving One Direction in the middle of a tour, and so unexpectedly, it created tension with the rest of the group. In interviews, the remaining members made comments that came off as passive-aggressive about his departure. But things really blew up when Louis posted a tweet throwing shade at people who over-edited their photos—something Zayn was often teased about.
Remember when you were 12 and you used to think those Mac filters for your pictures were cool haha ! Some people still do HA!
Up until that point, Zayn had stayed relatively “quiet.” But he fired back directly at Louis, telling him to get a life and stop meddling in his. The exchange included some cutting remarks, and that day Twitter (now X) exploded. The fandom split right down the middle: some defended Zayn, while others stood firmly behind Louis.
@Louis_Tomlinson remember when you had a life and stopped making bitchy comments about mine ?
From that point on, the two kept their distance. In interviews, they rarely mentioned each other, and when they did, their words were vague—making it clear their friendship was over. Later, when Louis lost his mother to leukemia, he invited all his former bandmates to join him in a tribute on The X Factor. Everyone showed up… except Zayn.
Months later, Louis admitted that Zayn’s absence hurt him more than anything else, and since then he hasn’t made an effort to reconnect. Zayn, on the other hand, explained that he felt conflicted: because he wasn’t on good terms with the group, he assumed they didn’t want to see him.
The Reunion and Reconciliation
Sadly, it took a tragedy to bring them back together—the death of Liam Payne. In October 2024, Liam passed away in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after falling from his hotel balcony. The news devastated fans and his former bandmates.
Former One Direction band members Harry Styles (C) and Niall Horan leave after attending the funeral service of the late One Direction singer Liam Payne on November 20, 2024. (JUSTIN TALLIS/Getty Images)
Liam had been Louis’s closest ally after Zayn left, and also the member Zayn had stayed closest to during his time in the band. His loss pushed both of them to reflect on life, on time, and on the importance of making peace with the people you love before it’s too late.
The four remaining members came together in London for the funeral, a moment that forced them to face each other after so many years apart. The outcome was unexpectedly positive: not long after, Louis was spotted at one of Zayn’s concerts in New York.
Since then, the two have followed each other back on social media and have even been seen spending time together as friends. Now, more than ten years after the feud that split the fandom, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik appear to have buried the hatchet and rekindled their friendship.
For fans, seeing them side by side again is more than just nostalgia. It’s a reminder that maybe, just maybe, One Direction’s story still has chapters left to be written.
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