Zayn Malik once asserted that none of his One Direction bandmates were close with him because he never made friends with any of them.
However, nearly a decade later, insiders suggest that the British singer is now willing to extend an olive branch, expressing his desire for "friendship and forgiveness" from his former One Direction mates.
When Malik, now 31, abruptly exited the musical group in March 2015, he left fans stunned, attributing his departure to "stress."
His former bandmates Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson announced their split less than a year later, declaring an indefinite hiatus for the group.
Following nearly a decade of estrangement and even withnsome harsh barbs exchanged, Malik is purportedly seeking to mend fences. He's open to the idea of a reunion, even though it is not his main intention behind this alleged desire to be forgiven.
An insider revealed to Daily Mail UK exclusively that "he doesn't know if it will ever happen, or when, but he would love to start a conversation with the other guys from One Direction and try to make amends with all of them."
The insider also said that "He is trying to figure out the best way to reach out because it will be odd, weird, and uncomfortable, but it is something that has been on his mind."
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The insider emphasized that the decision solely revolves around repairing relationships and not about reuniting the band so they can perform once more.
The insider explained that there is no certainty that this will eventually lead to a musical collaboration but it's not really Malik's goal in the first place. His primary motivation is to rekindle friendships with his former bandmates, with whom he admittedly shared so many experiences, despite his denial of their bond at one point.
"Zayn wants to approach them for forgiveness and friendship. Working with them is not important to him right now," the insider said.
"He has matured and wants to show the rest of the guys this. To be friends again would be amazing," he added.
It can be recalled that Malik, who was 17 when the group formed, has openly discussed his detachment from his bandmates in the years subsequent to his departure.
He asserted that "nobody reached out," mentioned his lack of a substantial relationship with Styles, and remarked that he "didn't really, like, make any friends from the band."
He also once described the band's music as being "generic," earning him the ire of Simon Cowell afterwards, whose record label Syco signed the band.
"There was never any room for me to experiment creatively in the band," he told Fader Magazine in its December/January 2015 issue. "If I would sing a hook or a verse slightly R&B, or slightly myself, it would always be recorded 50 times until there was a straight version that was pop, generic as f***, so they could use that version. Whenever I would suggest something, it was like it didn't fit us. There was just a general conception that the management already had of what they want for the band, and I just wasn't convinced with what we were selling. I wasn't 100 percent behind the music. It wasn't me. It was music that was already given to us, and we were told this is what is going to sell to these people. As much as we were the biggest, most famous boy band in the world, it felt weird. We were told to be happy about something that we weren't happy about."
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