Singer Perrie Edwards's mother Debs says her daughter didn't force Zayn Malik to leave One Direction and insists the decision to quit was all his idea.
Edwards was at the receiving end of One Direction fans' online anger in March after her fiance decided to quit the chart-topping band, with fans saying she forced the 22-year-old singer to quit for the sake of their relationship.
"It was his decision and nothing to do with Perrie," Edwards's mother told dailymirror.co.uk.
The couple, who started dating in December 2011, have "always been happy", and the 21-year-old star's mother says she feels Malik is like a son to her because they are so close.
Debs said: "They've always been happy. Zayn's one of the nicest boys I've ever met and I couldn't imagine Perrie with anyone else. I feel like he's already my son, they've been together since she was on 'The X Factor' so he's part of the family."
