The internet had a brief meltdown this week after rumors circulated that Zayn Malik quietly rejoined One Direction—10 years after he stepped away from the group.
However, according to Metro, despite the surge of excitement, updated filings indicate that no official reunion is underway.
The speculation kicked off when fans noticed a recent update on the UK business registry, Companies House, involving the band’s corporate entity, PPM Music Limited.
On November 3, Zayn’s listed address changed to a U.S. location, and that minor adjustment sparked massive theories that the singer was back with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson.
Some reports claimed the filing meant Zayn was now an “active director” of PPM Music Limited. But according to the documents currently available as of November 13, there’s no clear indication that any of the band’s members have been reinstated as directors.
The members were marked as “resigned” from their director roles on December 31, 2022. Zayn’s director position had already been terminated back in 2016, shortly after his exit from the group.
The only recent major update to the company was the formal removal of Liam Payne as a person of significant control after his death in October 2024. Payne passed away on October 16, 2024, following a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
As for the November 3 change that sent the fandom spiraling, it appears to be limited to Zayn’s updated address—not a reinstatement.
He, along with Harry, Louis, and Niall, is listed as an individual with “significant influence or control,” a status each has held since 2016. According to the UK government’s site, that classification applies to anyone who owns at least 25% of shares or voting rights in a company.
The active directors of PPM Music Limited remain two industry executives: Lawrence Engel of Lee & Thompson and Alan McEvoy of Live Wire Business Management.
Still, fans continue to hope for a reunion—especially in the wake of Payne’s death. Another recent update—not related to Zayn—involves the band’s other company, 1D Media Limited. Niall Horan amended his legal name to Niall Maria Horan for undisclosed reasons.