Zayn Malik has left One Direction for good, and though the world is still standing, perpetual teens were reminded of a similar pop group shake-up that left us broken. It was a dark day in 1998 when Geri Halliwell, aka Ginger Spice, hung up her Union Jack dress and said goodbye to the Spice Girls.
Twitter didn't exist, Facebook wasn't even The Facebook and Meerkat was still just a mongoose. But Ginger Spice broke our hearts, and, fittingly, the news. "Sadly I would like to confirm that I have left the Spice Girls," Halliwell said in a statement at the time. "This is because of differences between us. I am sure the group will continue to be successful and I wish them all the best. I have no immediate plans. I wish to apologize to all the fans and to thank them for everyone who has been there."
"We are upset and saddened by Geri's departure," Alan Edwards, spokesman for the Spice Girls, said at a press conference. (Yes! There was a press conference!) "We are very supportive in whatever she wants to do. The Spice Girls are here to stay. See you at the stadiums. We're sorry to all our fans for having to go through this."
Here's a compilation of all the news footage covering her departure, featuring testimonies from fans -- "AHHH!" -- and commentary from Variety's Sharon Stewart. It foreshadows the dark days ahead for Malik, One Direction fans and Spice Girls devotees.
Before You Go
