Zayn Malik’s Instagram followers knew something was up in the hours before his announcement on Tuesday, March 13, that he and Gigi Hadid had called it quits.
Several Twitter users pointed out that the “Dusk Till Dawn” singer, 25, apparently unfollowed the model, 22, and her mother, Yolanda Hadid, on Instagram earlier on Tuesday. “zayn really unfollowed gigi on instagram like he doesnt have a whole tattoo of her eyes on his chest,” one fan tweeted. Another wrote, “ZAYN REALLY UNFOLLOWED GIGI IM SHOOK.”
Malik then shared a shirtless selfie on Instagram alongside a cryptic caption that further fueled breakup rumors: “When Life throws you lemons , catch em so they don’t hit you in the f–king face.”
Less than two hours later, the former One Direction member confirmed the news. “Gigi and I had an incredibly meaningful, loving and fun relationship and I have a huge amount of respect and adoration for Gigi as a woman and a friend,” he wrote in a statement on Twitter. “She has such an incredible soul. I’m grateful to all of our fans for respecting this difficult decision and our privacy at this time, we wish this news could have come from us first. We love you all. xZ.”
Gigi later tweeted a note of her own. “Breakup statements often seem impersonal because there is really no way to put into words what two people experience together over a few years … not only in the relationship, but in life in general,” she wrote. “I’m forever grateful for the love, time, and life lessons that Z and I shared. I want nothing but the best for him and will continue to support him as a friend that I have immense respect and love for. As for the future, whatever’s meant to be will always be. xG.”
Us Weekly exclusively revealed in November 2015 that the pair were officially dating after Malik called off his two-year engagement to Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards. Meanwhile, Gigi previously dated Cody Simpson and Joe Jonas.
