And, predictably, it wasn't long before the internet went into complete meltdown over the news.
Like, maybe they were hacked?
There was panic that the world just wouldn't be the same without him.
People just couldn't see how they would go on.
There were the inevitable "I definitely saw this coming" comments.
Other people weren't so heartbroken.
This joke was made a couple of times.
And pretty much everyone in the UK made the same damn Jeremy Clarkson joke.
There was straight-up hysteria.
YOU PROMISED US A CONCERT.
I WON'T BELIEVE IT UNTIL ZAYN TWEETS IT.
Parts of people's souls were ripped away.
So much so that people lost control of the keyboard.
There were calls for imprisonment.
Dangerous driving occurred.
But, above all, there was support for Zayn.
And this heartbreaking realisation. 💔