Zayn — you may have been a member of the biggest boy band in the world, but nothing is more important than your health and peace of mind. Leaving One Direction was the only decision you could make.

Zayn Malik, you apologized to your fans in the statement you posted today, March 25, but the reality is that you have nothing to apologize for.

Zayn Malik Dropping Out of One Direction: We Support Your Choice

You’re just 22 and have spent the last five years working non-stop recording, touring and doing public appearances as part of the uber-successful band, One Direction.

You’ve had barely a moment to yourself. You can’t go anywhere in the world where you can simply walk down the street or get a coffee without being recognized. Throngs of adoring fans are everywhere.

You almost always have to be “on”! There is hardly a moment to relax. And even though you’ve been so in love with fellow musician, Perrie Edwards of the band Little Mix ,that you got engaged, you’ve hardly been able to see her.

This all adds up to a tremendous amount of pressure and stress. And not everyone is cut out to handle that kind of stress. In fact, most people can’t, let alone, most 22-year-olds.

Hey, look at the issues that Justin Bieber has had over the past year and a half. Fame has also come at a price for him — something that he’s been very openly discussing  lately. The bottom line is that as you said in your statement: “I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight.”

Zayn Malik Leaves One Direction — Health Comes First

If that is what you need, then you are entitled to have that. Living as a member of One Direction can’t feel like an unhealthy prison to you. If anything, you should be applauded for making a decision which had to be incredibly difficult. I’m sure you felt like you didn’t want to let your fellow band members — Harry, 21, Niall, 21, Liam, 21 and Louis, 23, — down, or the fans, either.

The situation apparently did feel unbearable to you and that’s why you had to make the move, a source close to you told HollywoodLife.com exclusively. “The pressure of being famous was getting to be too much for Zayn. He was losing a grasp on who he was, and what he really wanted,”.

“Zayn felt like he had to quit 1D or he would die! He just couldn’t handle everything that came from the insanity of fame and being a huge celebrity,” the source explained.

Zayn — your career in One Direction was absolutely not worth dying for, as fabulous as it was! You have your whole life ahead of you and can achieve all kinds of other goals, once you feel better.

Our source tells us that before being discovered on Britain’s X Factor and being put together into then new band One Direction by music impresario Simon Cowell, 55, you were a “goofy” kid who was “awkward in social situations.” Just like so many 17 or 18-year-olds.

Zayn Malik: The Stress Of Fame Caused Him To Quit One Direction

Being “thrust into the limelight of being on world tours…girls being thrown at him, drinks being handed to him…all the temptations were too much,” says the insider. On top of that, “the stress and everything was really affecting his health. He wasn’t eating well and was losing weight,” adds the source.

Zayn, your weight loss was very apparent over the past couple of years. You just got skinnier and skinnier. The stress was definitely taking a physical toll. Thank goodness that you’ve made this decision to step out of the limelight so that you can regain your physical health and your mental equilibrium. You’ll have a chance to figure out what you really want to do as a career.

The great news is that you’ve already earned enough money for a lifetime so you can go back to school, become an artist, travel — whatever you want. You don’t have to worry about money.

In other positive news, the band will welcome you back if and when you ever want to return: “As far as the boys are concerned, Zayn has an open invitation to rejoin the group when he gets his head back on straight. He’s a brother to them and they won’t turn their backs on him in his time of need,” another source close to One Direction revealed exclusively to HollywoodLife.com.

Zayn — hopefully that gives you some comfort. Your bandmates support your decision to leave and if you ever wish to rejoin them, the door is wide, wide open. But for now, you are completely right to focus on you — your physical and emotional health. I’m sure your family and Perrie, 21, are so happy to have you home to love and support.

And guess what — your fans love you, too! They’ve been tweeting #WeStillLoveYouZayn all day! Bottom line: everyone knows you made the right decision.

Do you agree, HollywoodLifers? Let me know.

— Bonnie Fuller