Perrie Edwards has told fans she is “heartbroken” after splitting with Zayn Malik.
The Little Mix singer appeared to confirm a barrage of tabloid reports claiming she had split from Malik in two posts on Twitter, where she thanked friends, family and her fans for supporting her through this “hard time”.
"Because of you all I’m still smiling,” the 22-year-old wrote.
"I'm trying to stay strong, but it’s natural to feel heartbroken so If I come across quiet when meeting fans, I’m sorry! I do love you all lots.”
Her comments may have been prompted by an interview with E!, where Edwards was ambushed with a question about how she was feeling after the break-up. A shocked Edwards replied, “I’m good”, before her bandmates interjected and told their interviewer that they did not want to answer questions about the reported split.
Malik and Edwards met on the X-Factor and went on to forge successful careers in their bands One Direction and Little Mix. They became engaged in 2013 and were hit by speculation that Malik had been unfaithful in Thailand, a furore that culminated in Malik leaving his band to be “normal 22-year-old”.
The break-up comes a week after Malik signed a solo deal with RCA records, telling his fans he could now make "real music" and show them who he "really is".
