Zayn Malik quits One Direction: Singer felt he would die if he did not leave boyband

One Direction star Zayn Malik has quit the British boyband as he had a tough time dealing with fame.

According to Hollywood Life, the 22-year-old singer felt suffocated as his private life was always in the spot light.

Malik left One Direction's On The Road Again tour due to "stress" following allegations that the What Makes You Beautiful singer cheated on his fiancée Perrie Edwards.

"Zayn felt like he had to quit 1D or he would die! He just couldn't handle everything that came from the insanity of fame and being a huge celebrity," a source told the website.

"Before being in One Direction he was just a goofy kid who never really fit in. He didn't have a ton of friends and was awkward in social situations. Suddenly he was thrust into the limelight of being on world tours. He had girls being thrown at him, drinks being handed to him and he was supposed to be the coolest kid in the club," the insider continued.

"All the temptations were just too much for him. He was losing a grasp on who he was and what he really wanted, while not making the best decisions."

"The stress and everything was really affecting his health. He wasn't eating well and was losing weight. He definitely didn't look like his old self. Zayn was scared that if he kept on this path he would end up in jail or even worse, dead," the source added.

Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson are expected to continue as a four-piece band in the future.