Following on from Selena Gomez's recent Instagram cull, we've come to learn there's one clear way to signal to the world that you're officially 'done' with a relationship – unfollow everyone connected to your friend/other half on social media.
Soon after news that Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid had split after two years of dating, fans noticed that the 25-year-old singer had swiftly unfollowed the model and her mother, Yolanda Hadid.
The Instagram break-up came hours after the former One Direction star announced on social media that they had ended their romance.
'Gigi and I had an incredibly meaningful, loving and fun relationship and I have a huge amount of respect and adoration for Gigi as a woman and a friend. She has such an incredible soul,' Zayn shared in a note posted earlier today.
'I'm grateful to all of our fans for respecting this difficult decision and our privacy at this time. We wish this news would have come from us first. We love you all.'
Gigi added:
'Breakup statements often seem impersonal because there is really no way to put into words what two people experience together over a few years..not only in a relationship but in life in general. I'm forever grateful for the love, time and life lessons Z and I shared. I want nothing but the best for him and will continue to support him as a friend that I have immense respect and love for. As for the future, whatever's meant to be will always be. x G.'
Following a break-up, no one wants to see photos of their ex or family popping up on their Instagram feed, so it's understandable why the 'Pillowtalk' singer would want to remove the chance of that happening all together.
And while the split is heartbreaking for both Zayn and Gigi right now, we can imagine it's also hard for Gigi's mother, Yolanda, who has regularly spoken of her love for Malik over the years.
Just last year, the mother-of-three opened up about welcoming the singer into her family.
In a previous interview the former model said: 'He's a beautiful human being from Bradford, England,' she explained. 'He's from the same background that I'm from, him and I get along great and he's like a son to me. It's all good.
'He has no family here and he's so far away so I understand that life because I lived that life. I think that I'm just a momma to him.'
All our support goes to Gigi and Zayn during this difficult time.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
