Why DID Zayn Leave One Direction?

That sound you heard Wednesday morning was the sound of millions of teens' and tweens' hearts breaking over the news that Zayn Malik has left One Direction. Which leaves us pondering the burning question...Why?

A source tells E! News that Zayn had been struggling with fame and the pressure that accompanies it for some time and that his departure had been in the works for a while.

Zayn made a sudden exit from the band during the Asian leg of their world tour and returned home to England amid speculation from the press regarding rumors that he was cheating on his fiancee, Perrie Edwards.

The source says that he and his now former bandmates remain close and that the rest of the group is "devastated" but are understanding that Zayn had to do what was best for him.

For now, it looks like Zayn plans to take a break and give himself time to recuperate, but he doesn't plan on giving up music entirely and is thinking about going back into the studio to work on a solo project. We wish him all the best and will keep you updated on how he's doing.