Why did Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik fallout as they reunite for Netflix show

Louis Tomlinsonand Zayn Malik appear to be close again – but this wasn't always the case. The two former One Direction stars are rumoured to be working togetheron a multi-million-pound Netflix show, reflecting on their time with the chart-topping band and their late bandmate, Liam Payne.

Liam died aged just 31 on October 16, 2024, after falling from the balcony of his third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, where he had been staying alone. Although tensions had been high after Malik's decision to leave the band in 2015, things appeared to have thawed over, with Liam previously reaching out to Zayn on social media.

Zayn joined his former bandmates at Liam's funeral last year, the first time he had been pictured with them since his decision to step back. But shortly after he made the decision to focus on himself, Zayn, 32, became embroiled in a rather bitter feud with Louis, 33, with the pair often engaging in a tense war of words on social media.

• Patrick Murray dead: Only Fools and Horses legend Mickey Pearce dies
• Coronation Street star reveals she is living in a caravan months after quitting soap

Now, though, it appears that this is firmly in the past, with the two lads recently being spotted together and also discussing one another in interviews. Here, we take a look back at that feud, which has thankfully been put to bed.

Louis and Zayn's feud appeared to start when music producer and DJ Naughty Boy shared a snap of himself and Zayn with the caption: "Replace this," which Zayn retweeted on his own Twitter account. Louis, known for his cheeky persona, later tweeted: "Remember when you were 12 and you used to think those Mac filters for your pictures were cool haha! Some people still do HA!"

Naughty Boy, who last appeared in the charts in 2015, tweeted: "@Louis_Tomlinson and some people can't even sing.. but who's complaining when there's auto tune eh." Known for sharing what he really thinks, Louis instantly clapped back with: "@NaughtyBoyMusic Jesus forgot you were such an in demand producer .... How does it feel to be riding on the back of someone else's career?"

But after seeing his friend in the firing line, Zayn leapt to Naughty Boy's defence, with: "@Louis_Tomlinson remember when you had a life and stopped making bitchy comments about mine?" However, Naughty Boy attempted to impress Louis with his music credits, hitting back with: "@Louis_Tomlinson Yeah how does it feel mate? You've been doing that for the last five years... I've got Emeli Sande and Sam smith on my CV."

However, Louis had another trick up his sleeve; the band had become the biggest-selling boy band of all time, despite leaving the X Factor in third place, and he wasn't afraid to back himself. He proudly responded: "@NaughtyBoyMusic good for you , well done !! I think we've done alright in terms of sales and I've happened to write on most. Keep trying!"

A few months later, though, things seemed to have turned, with Zayn also taking aim at Naughty Boy. He wrote: "@NaughtyBoyMusic you fat joke stop pretending we're friends no one knows you." Zayn went on to add: "Someone learned how to upload a video... maybe now he should learn how to use logic ha you ain't s*** but a faker."

Earlier this year, Louis, who is gearing up for the release of his third solo album, How Did I Get Here?, and his biggest tour to date, including shows at Co-op Live and Madison Square Garden, was spotted with Zayn, sending fans wild. The Sun reports that the duo will appear in an "absolutely huge show", which will see them travel across America.

A source told the outlet: "And it's likely to be a chance for some serious soul-searching and deep discussions about the incredible journey the group have already been on since they were formed on The X Factor 15 years ago." Filming on the show has reportedly begun - with it set to land on the streamer next year, marking a decade since the band broke up.

During a recent interview with iHeart Radio, Louis was asked about his reaction to fans believing he and Zayn were teaming up. "I heard that," he said. Louis added: "I thought that was pretty interesting, yeah. Pretty astute," before saying: "Hmm... I suppose they'll just have to wait and see, aye."

Meanwhile, Zayn recently announced his own Las Vegas residency, which starts next year. The singer is set to play at Dolby Live at Park MGM seven times and will kick off his run of shows on January 20. He will continue to perform on January 21, 24, 25, 28 and 30.

Zayn's final show will be on January 31 and gives fans a rare chance to see him perform live. He has only ever performed one tour since leaving One Direction.

The pop star launched his Stairway to the Sky tour last year. Zayn shared his excitement with his fans as he declared: "VEGAS!! JAN 2026!!" A helicopter will also fly down the iconic Las Vegas Strip to announce the news.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Threads.