One Direction: Where Are They Now? Following Zayn Malik’s departure in 2015 and the group’s breakup in 2016

After stealing the spotlight and our hearts on The X-Factor in 2010, One Direction skyrocketed to superstardom. Following Zayn Malik’s departure in 2015 and the group’s breakup in 2016, here’s what the five former bandmates have been up to since

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Liam Payne

One Direction where are they now

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After One Direction’s split, Liam Payne released his first solo EP, First Time, in 2018, followed by his debut studio album, LP1, the following year.

Payne and English singer and X Factor judge Cheryl Fernandez-Versini — formerly of the girl group Girls Aloud — began dating in late 2015. They welcomed son Bear Grey in 2017, but in July 2018, Payne and Cheryl announced their split on social media after more than two years together.

Two years later, the “Strip That Down” singer became engaged to model Maya Henry, his rep confirming the news to PEOPLE in August 2020 after Henry was spotted out and about in London wearing a massive diamond ring. The pair were first romantically linked in August 2018.

However, Payne revealed in June 2021 that he and Henry called off their engagement. While the couple rekindled their relationship and got engaged a second time, they ultimately split again in May 2022.

After rumors swirled of a romance between Payne and influencer Kate Cassidy in November 2022, the pair made their red carpet debut as a couple at the British Fashion Awards in December of that year. In February 2023, Payne and Cassidy were spotted together at Netflix’s BAFTAs afterparty in London.

Payne has also been open about his dependency on alcohol in the past, spurred by his newfound One Direction superstardom.

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Harry Styles

One Direction where are they now

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Oh, Harry Styles, how we adore you! Following the band’s breakup, Styles released his self-titled debut album in 2017In 2019, he returned with his second album, Fine Line, spawning the song of summer, “Watermelon Sugar,” in 2020 and earning him his first Grammy Award in 2021. He released his third album, Harry’s House, in 2022, winning two Grammys in 2023, including album of the year. Styles boasts seven top 10 hits in the UK, counting his two No. 1 hit singles: “Sign of the Times” (2017) and “As It Was” (2022).

The singer-songwriter made his film debut in 2017’s Dunkirk and joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a surprise cameo in 2021’s Eternals. He also starred in 2022’s My Policeman and is renowned for his fashion choices, becoming the first man to land a solo cover of Vogue.

Styles initially kept details of his love life private, though he had a brief relationship with Taylor Swift from 2012 to 2013. He and Kendall Jenner also made headlines with their long-rumored, on-and-off romance. In 2021, he began a high-profile relationship with actress and filmmaker Olivia Wilde, with whom he costarred in her sophomore directorial effort Don’t Worry Darling in 2022.

Wilde and Styles split in November 2022 after two years together, but a source told PEOPLE in February 2023 the exes have remained “good friends.”

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Zayn Malik

One Direction where are they now

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As the first member to leave the band in 2015, Zayn Malik set out to “be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight.” He’s since released three solo albums: 2016’s Mind of Mine, 2018’s Icarus Falls and 2021’s Nobody Is Listening. He had a No. 1 hit in 2016 in the U.S. and the UK with his single “Pillowtalk.”

Malik was previously engaged to Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards before breaking things off in 2015. That same year, Malik began an on-and-off relationship with model Gigi Hadid. Though the two welcomed daughter Khai in September 2020, the couple seemingly split for good after Malik was accused of “striking” Hadid’s mom, Yolanda Hadid, in October 2021. Malik later pleaded no contest to the charges and received 360 days of probation.

Malik and Hadid continue to co-parent their daughter.

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Louis Tomlinson

One Direction where are they now

GARETH CATTERMOLE/GETTY; ZACH PAGANO/NBC/NBCU PHOTO BANK VIA GETTY

Louis Tomlinson, the oldest member of the boy band, was also the first to become a father, welcoming his first child, son Freddie Reign, in January 2016 with ex Briana Jungwirth. In 2017, he released two singles, “Back to You” and “Just Like You,” before returning to The X Factor UK as a judge on season 15. In 2020, Tomlinson released his debut solo album, Walls, and his sophomore album, Faith in the Future, was released in 2022.

Since the band split, the singer has faced several family tragedies, including losing his mother to cancer in December 2016 and his 18-year-old sister Félicité dying after a suspected cardiac arrest in March 2019.

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Niall Horan

One Direction where are they now

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Irish singer Niall Horan has enjoyed a successful solo career, starting with blessing fans with his album Flicker and his single “Slow Hands” in 2017. In 2020, he released his sophomore album, Heartbreak Weather, with the lead single “Nice to Meet Ya.”

Horan’s third album, The Show, was released in 2023, the same year he joined The Voice as a judge and coach on season 23.

On the romance front, he and actress-singer Hailee Steinfeld were romantically linked in February 2018, but PEOPLE confirmed the couple’s breakup in December of that year. Horan otherwise has had quite the dating history and has been in a relationship with Amelia Woolley since 2020.

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