1D Manager speaks out: "Zayn left because I told him to"

The story has taken a new Direction - One Directions new manager, Martin Klinefelter, admits that he "pressured" Zayn Malik to leave the band.

One direction, the English-Irish pop group that has taken the world by storm, sold albums like hotcakes and broken countless teengirls' hearts, since its formation in 2010, shrank recently, as Zayn Malik, 22, decided to leave. Zayns decision has caused an uprising among fans, many of whom are of the opinion that the sacredness of One Direction left with him, but an overwhelming majority of the fan base support his choice. The reason for Zayns departure has long been clouded in mystery. Many sources say he's long struggled with fame and wanted to get away from it all, others have cited his relationship with his fiancee as being the catalysis for absconding. But now, new reports speak of a far more sinister reason - early this morning, One Directions new manager, the successor of Paul Higgins, who left in September, spoke out in a TV interview and revealed that he had something to do with Zayns decision. This is what he had to say. "I'm just going to come out and say it, I pressured Zayn to leave the group. I didn't feel he belonged with the other guys, he doesn't have that charisma that made One Direction so popular in the first place. I didn't tell him outright to leave, but I sent him signals that I think made him feel like he wasn't a part of the group and I stand by that. I think he dragged the other guys down and kept them from reaching their full potential. He left because of me and I'm glad he did." The statement has caused outrage online, and has led people to accuse Klinefelter of bullying, harrassment and many are calling for his head on a stick. Zayn Malik has not yet commented what Klinefelter expressed in the TV interview, but we will keep you updated as soon as more information comes our way. In the meantime, tweet about this story under #ZaynVsManager