Ringo — rather, Malik — was the first member of 1D to leave the band back in 2015 to embark on his own solo career . His high-profile departure was marked by rumors of discord between him and his former bandmates, which have persisted (and have been somewhat confirmed) in the years since. Just this month, Liam Payne said to GQ that the boys have rarely heard from Malik in the time since he left the band, which also ended on a sour note: Malik didn’t even say goodbye , Payne told the magazine.