Is This Why Zayn Left 1D?

Ever since Zayn Malik left One Direction last week, rumors and theories about why the pop idol left the biggest boy band in the world have been running rampant. Just days after Malik announced his departure, a single Malik worked on with English producer Naughty Boy titled "I Won't Mind," leaked. After the single leaked, it almost seemed as if Malik's reason for leaving the band was to pursue a solo career that was already underway, despite the fact that he claimed in a statement that he was "...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." However, now there's some new evidence that shows how true that sentiment may actually be: The director of the 2013 One Direction documentary This Is Us, Morgan Spurlock, appeared on HuffPost Live and opened up about the struggles Malik faced on the road.

According to Spurlock, "He always struggled with being on the road. He's a homebody. He wanted nothing more than to sit in his house and spray paint and draw and do art, and I think this explosion that happened to him — which was something none of them ever predicted." For the purpose of the documentary, Spurlock followed the band for months and captured their lives on tour. Though the documentary depicts the wild ride of their success, it also captures the strain their astronomic rise to fame had on their personal lives, families, and the desire to feel normal.

Spurlock continued: "But I think [Zayn] was the one who struggled with it the most. And being away, being on the road, being away from his girlfriend I think finally just got to him, and I think he said, 'I'm done.'"

With this new perspective, coming from someone who worked so closely with Malik while on the road, it appears as though there is real truth to Malik's statement. After watching the interview with Spurlock, fans will probably feel a lot more sympathetic towards Malik — or, at the very least, all of the die-hard members of #TeamZayn can shout on top of the Twitter mountain, "TOLD YOU SO!"

Take a look at the trailer from This is Us followed by the interview with its director to see just how much the sentiments really do match up:

This Is Us trailer:

Spurlock's interview: