Zayn Malik has responded to a viral video in which he appears to tell fans gathered near a hotel exit to “get the f*** out of the way.” The British solo artist, who rose to fame as a member of One Direction, was seen struggling to move from his hotel to a waiting car in Manchester, England, through a group of fans in footage shared by TMZ. However, Malik, 33, clarified that his frustration was not directed at his fans but at “multiple fully grown men” who were blocking the hotel doors and the car for 10 minutes, preventing him and the security team from leaving.
“Let’s just get the facts straight – the fans were and always are respectful and amazing,” he wrote in an Instagram comment on TMZ TV’s account. In the post, which had received over 43,000 likes at the time of writing, he added: “[The men] are not fans; they are stalkers that show up wherever someone they want to meet is and do the same thing to everyone to try to get content. It is not safe and not OK and they ruin it for the real fans.”
Malik performed in Manchester on 24 May, following a show in London where he launched his latest album, Konnakol. He had previously planned to tour in the US, but had to cancel several dates after being admitted to hospital for undisclosed health issues. In a statement at the time, he expressed gratitude for his fans’ support and said he was “doing well.”
“Thank you so much for all the support and love you’ve shown me on the album release and more importantly your love, prayers, and well wishes for my health,” he said. “I’ve felt it, and it’s meant the world. I’ve been at home recovering and I’m doing well and will be better and stronger than before.”
Last month, a documentary that was set to feature Malik and his former One Direction bandmate Louis Tomlinson, 34, was scrapped by Netflix, amid reports of an alleged physical altercation between the two. The project was expected to explore their experiences of fame, personal lives, and careers, as well as discuss the death of their bandmate Liam Payne in 2024.
According to a report in The Sun, the series was dropped following an incident six months ago in which Malik allegedly punched Tomlinson after making a remark about his late mother. Tomlinson’s mother, Johanna, died of leukaemia in December 2016, aged 43. The singer was reportedly left “stunned and in shock” after the incident and required medical treatment, including a concussion. Malik and Tomlinson’s representatives did not respond to requests for comment at the time.
After the alleged incident was reported, director Nicola Marsh, known for the Demi Lovato documentary Child Star, posted The Sun’s front page to Instagram Stories and commented: “And there goes the last year of work.”
