Louis Tomlinson unfollows Zayn Malik amid reports of alleged altercation on Netflix docuseries set

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Things don’t seem to be moving in the same direction for the former members of One Direction. If social media reports are to be believed, Louis Tomlinson has allegedly unfollowed Zayn Malik on Instagram amid rumors of on-set tensions during the filming of their Netflix docuseries.

As of Saturday, April 18, Tomlinson, 34, is no longer following Malik, 33. The latter, however, still follows Tomlinson. The ‘Lemonade’ singer continues to follow former bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and the late Liam Payne. Tomlinson has not shared any official reason behind his unfollowing. 

Louis Tomlinson unfollowed Zayn Malik amid reports of alleged feud

The Tomlinson-Malik situation comes during ongoing complications linked to filming of a Netflix project, which featured the former One Direction bandmates. 

The Sun reported that the altercation happened while working on the unnamed documentary, directed by Nicola Marsh and produced by Campfire Studios, which led to Malik allegedly punching Tomlinson on the face.

Neither side has issued any official statement about the alleged clash despite multiple requests of clarification from various publications.

The status of the documentary remains uncertain for now, and Campfire Studios has not responded to media enquiries. The project was first announced in 2025 and was designed to show Malik and Tomlinson coming together for a road trip across America while trying to reconnect nearly a decade after Malik left One Direction in 2015.

If it moves forward, the three-episode series is expected to capture their journey in an informal and spontaneous setting, focusing on rebuilding their bond while travelling across the US. The project will also see both artists reflecting on their personal lives, including themes such as relationships, friendships, love, loss, and fatherhood.

Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik's turbulent friendship over the years 

Tomlinson and Malik first shared a close bond as members of One Direction until Malik stepped away from the group in 2015.

Since then, their relationship has seen major ups and downs. The duo were once involved in a public disagreement on X (previously known as Twitter), though they later appeared to move past it, especially around the time their documentary project was first announced.

They were also seen together at the funeral of late bandmate Liam Payne, joined by fellow former bandmates Harry Styles and Niall Horan. Tomlinson has previously reflected on his connection with Malik, sharing that his late mother, Johannah Deakin, encouraged him to rebuild contact.

“My mum said, ‘You’ve got to get back in contact with Zayn. Life’s too short,' ” he told The Sun in 2017, adding that Malik was “just a little misunderstood.”

He also expressed that despite everything, their bond remained meaningful. “We really care about each other,” he said at the time. “I could always break the rules a little bit with Zayn… it was that brotherly love. We will always have that love for each other.”