One Direction Fans Are Not Taking The Group’s Split Well

2 minute read

British boy band One Direction will go on an “extended hiatus” next year, according to reports from People, E!, and The Sun. The news comes five months after Zayn Malik left the group and just a few days after current members Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Liam Payne dressed like astronauts for the “Drag Me Down” music video.

Sources have told the entertainment news outlets that the pop stars will go their separate directions to pursue different projects for “at least” a year, starting in March of 2016. In the meantime, the band will continue to tour, and their fifth album is expected to be released before their break begins.

Below is a sample of how both fans — as well as those mocking the fans — reacted to the news on Twitter:

TELL SIRI TO CHARGE YOUR PHONE TO 100% ONE DIRECTION BROKE UP @twaimz @twaimz

— TYSM ISSA (@Issa913270) August 24, 2015

if i see another tweet saying "one direction broke up" pic.twitter.com/1sMylDQOpc

— . (@theresemariie) August 24, 2015

So just heard @onedirection are taking a long 'break'.....let the Memes begin #OneDirection #1D pic.twitter.com/cho3aGe2nv

— Lora 💜 Young Forever⁷ (@LoraLojko) August 23, 2015

This #OneDirection news has me like. #multipledirections pic.twitter.com/uFI3ae4aiA

— Jeff Rojas (@iamjeffrojas) August 23, 2015

"one direction to split up in march." #OneDirection pic.twitter.com/sT1UjZptll

— chelle 🤎 (@nechelletiana) August 23, 2015

One Direction are splitting up#OneDirection pic.twitter.com/sPDet80o76

— Name cannot be blank (@YolOnlyFans) August 23, 2015

"Foursome to split and go their separate ways from March." #inevitable

Oh, you mean One Direction. pic.twitter.com/jpJJiO50sW

— David Schneider (@davidschneider) August 24, 2015

So there wasn’t only one direction after all

— Professor Green (@professorgreen) August 23, 2015

One direction go their separate ways - is this a paradox? Forgive me I left school in year 8.

— Professor Green (@professorgreen) August 23, 2015

Looks like the Dow is going in One Direction #conflatetrendingtopics

— Declan Cashin (@Tweet_Dec) August 24, 2015

See One Direction Throughout the Years

BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards - Show
Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Zain Malik of One Direction perform at the BBC Teen Awards at Wembley arena in London, England in 2011.Dave Hogan—Getty Images
BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards - Show
One Direction perform at the BBC Teen Awards at Wembley arena in London, England in 2011.Dave Hogan—Getty Images
BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards - Show
One Direction perform at the BBC Teen Awards at Wembley arena in London, United Kingdom in 2011.Dave Hogan—Getty Images
BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards - Show
One Direction perform at the BBC Teen Awards at Wembley arena in London, United Kingdom in 2011.Dave Hogan—Getty Images
Nickelodeon's 25th Annual Kids' Choice Awards - Roaming Audience
Zayn Malik of One Direction performs at Nickelodeon's 25th Annual Kids' Choice Awards held at Galen Center in Los Angeles, Calif. in 2012.Christopher Polk—KCA2012/Getty Images
One Direction Perform in London
Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik of One Direction perform at HMV Hammersmith Apollo in London, England in 2012.Joseph Okpako—FilmMagic/Getty Images
One Direction Portrait Session In Sydney
Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Harry Styles of One Direction pose during a portrait shoot at Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia in 2012.Sam Ruttyn—Newspix/Getty Images
One Direction Performs On NBC's "Today"
Zayn Malik of One Direction performs on NBC's Today at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City in 2012.Slaven Vlasic—Getty Images
Z100's Jingle Ball 2012 Presented By Aeropostale - Show
One Direction performs onstage during Z100's Jingle Ball 2012 at Madison Square Garden on in New York City in 2012.Kevin Kane—Getty Images for Jingle Ball 201
2013 MTV Video Music Awards - Show
One Direction speaks onstage during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in 2013.Theo Wargo—WireImage/Getty Images
2013 American Music Awards - Roaming Show
One Direction performs onstage during the 2013 American Music Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, Calif. in 2013.Christopher Polk—AMA2013/Getty Images
One Direction in Buenos Aires
One Direction performs at the stage during their presentation as part of the tour "Where We Are Tour" at Velez Sarsfield Stadium on May 03, 2014 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.Cesar Quiroga—LatinContent/Getty Images
One Direction "Where We Are" Tour - New Jersey
Guitarist Dan Richards and Niall Horan of One Direction perform onstage during the "Where We Are" tour at Met Life Stadium on Aug. 4, 2014 in New York City.Kevin Mazur—OneD/Getty Images
One Direction "Where We Are" Tour - New Jersey
Zayn Malik of One Direction performs onstage during the "Where We Are" tour at Met Life Stadium on Aug. 4, 2014 in New York City. Kevin Mazur—OneD/Getty Images
One Direction: The TV Special - Season 2014
Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Harry Styles on the One Direction TV special in 2014.Jeff Daly—NBC/Getty Images
2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival - Night 2 - Show
Niall Horan of One Direction performs onstage during the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sept. 20, 2014 in Las Vegas, NV.Denise Truscello—WireImage/Getty Images
2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival - Night 2 - Show
Niall Horan of One Direction performs onstage during the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sept. 20, 2014 in Las Vegas, NV.Christopher Polk—Getty Images
2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival - Night 2 - Show
Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan of One Direction perform onstage during the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sept. 20, 2014 in Las Vegas, NV.Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images
One Direction Celebrate The Release Of Album "Four" On NBC Today Show
Niall Horan of One Direction appears on NBC's Today Show to release their new album "Four" at Universal City Walk At Universal Orlando on Nov. 17, 2014 in Orlando, Fla.John Parra—WireImage/Getty Images
Saturday Night Live - Season 40
Amy Adams and One Direction members Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan appear on Saturday Night Live on Dec. 18, 2014.Dana Edelson—NBC/Getty Images
Saturday Night Live - Season 40
Harry Styles performs on Saturday Night Live on Dec. 18, 2014.Dana Edelson—NBC/Getty Images
Saturday Night Live - Season 40
Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan of One Direction perform on Saturday Night Live on Dec. 18, 2014.Dana Edelson—NBC/Getty Images

 

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Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com