One Direction member Zayn Malik spoke out against Matt Lauer after the host of "The Today Show" asked if the singer was absent during an interview because of substance abuse problems, Daily Mail reported.
One Direction appeared on "The Today Show" in Orlando Friday to promote their newest album "Four." The members of the band sans Malik were present, prompting Lauer to ask if the singer's absence was related to a drug problem.
"There's obviously a lot of concern," Lauer said. "A lot of fans have been tweeting overnight. Is it something more serious? There have been rumors of substance abuse. What's going on?"
Upon hearing about what happened, Malik, 21, said he felt really angry and upset over what Lauer said.
"I was really ill at weekend. That's why I couldn't fly to America," Malik said.
A representative also released a statement to Daily Mail, saying, "Zayn was taken ill after recording the Band Aid single at the weekend and was unfortunately not well enough to fly to the USA yesterday."
The other members did not seem amused by the question, according to The New York Daily News.
Fellow member Liam Payne simply replied that Malik was at home and his absence was due to a stomach bug, before refusing to say more. Niall Horan was also heard making a sound into his microphone in response but refused to speak.
The band's representatives later stated that Malik is currently recovering and will follow the other band members to the United States soon. They chose not to comment on the matter any longer, saying Payne's remark would be the final word on the topic.
In response to Malik's absence, the group's fanbase tweeted about his illness with the hashtag #GetWellSoonZayn.
One Direction consists of Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. The group recently released their fourth studio album, entitled "Four."