Celebrity Celebrity Relationships Celebrity Breakups Perrie Edwards Says Zayn Malik Ended Their Engagement with a 'Simple Text' In a leaked excerpt from Little Mix's new book, Perrie Edwards allegedly wrote that Zayn Malik broke up with her with a "simple text" By Char Adams Char Adams Char Adams is a former reporter at PEOPLE. She left PEOPLE in 2019. People Editorial Guidelines Published on October 17, 2016 11:30AM EDT Perrie Edwards is opening up about the end of her relationship with Zayn Malik. More than a year after the pop starsended their two-year engagement, the Little Mix singer has revealed that Malik (whom she does not identify by name) broke it off via text message. “It was horrible, the worst time in my life. A four-year relationship, two-year engagement ended by a simple text message. Just like that,” Edwards, 23, wrote in a leaked excerpt from the group’s latest book One World, confirmed as legitimate by PEOPLE. The former One Direction singer, who is now dating model Gigi Hadid, previously addressed rumors that he had broken up with Edwards that way, telling The Fader magazine that he has too much respect for Edwards “than to end anything over text message.” “I love her a lot, and I always will, and I would never end our relationship over four years like that,” Malik, 23, said at the time. “She knows that, I know that, and the public should know that as well.” Little Mix bandmates Jesy Nelson, Jade Thirlwall and Leigh-Anne Pinnock helped Edwards through the breakup. “The girls were amazing. We’d have sleepovers and they’d get my favorite desserts and do everything they could to cheer me up,” she wrote. “I surrounded myself with friends and family … I didn’t want to be alone because when I was I’d start thinking about things and get upset.” RELATED VIDEO: Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik Turn up the PDA on Instagram The leak came as Little Mix released their latest track, “Shout Out to My Ex” — although none of the group’s members have revealed who, exactly, the song is about. However, when asked exclusively by The Sun whether she let Malik hear the track in advance, she replied, “No.” Her bandmate Nelson added to the publication: “We don’t think he deserves a warning! He’ll just have to wait to see.” Edwards has since moved on – she’s begun seeing actor Luke Pasqualino. “We’ve been on a few fun dates, which is nice,” she recently told the paper. “It’s early days but yeah, he’s really lovely.”