After the video of Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson smoking a joint went viral on the web, the boys of 1D immediately received flak for their action. One member of the boy band however has something to say about all the hate and criticism they've received due to the video. Liam Payne stands up for the boys and defends his beloved One Direction.

In response to a Daily Mail article that slammed One Direction for their actions, Liam Payne took to Twitter to post a lengthy apology and explanation. In addition, the British singer also defended his band mates Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. Check out the series of Payne's tweets below.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with us through this just know that we love you guys for it and it means the world

— Liam Payne (@Real_Liam_Payne) May 31, 2014

Hopefully we stand the test of time an get it right in the end I don't take this for granted and im extremely grateful to be here doing this — Liam Payne (@Real_Liam_Payne) May 31, 2014

I love my boys and maybe things have gone a little sideways I apologise for that.We are only in our 20's we all do stupid things at this age

— Liam Payne (@Real_Liam_Payne) May 31, 2014

While Payne is defending his band mates, a report by Ocean Up claims Harry Styles is livid with the debacle the boys have gotten themselves into.

"This should be one of the biggest weeks of the band's career with the launch of their UK stadium tour. Instead it has been taken over by this controversy. Harry thinks it was a stupid and reckless thing for Louis to allow to be filmed in the first place," stated the report.

On the other hand, Louis Tomlinson has been affected greatly by the video leak that he has constantly been checking his phone.

"He was up checking his phone to see the reaction. He understands the whole world is talking and he is trying to work out how to limit the damage," continued the report.

With Payne trying to do damage control and Harry on the edge of his seat, what does the future hold for the boys of 1D? Of course, this debacle of a group of boys smoking a joint isn't new. For one, other celebrities caught smoking weed includes Miley Cyrus (who has openly talked about it in her countless interviews) and Justin Bieber.

If Miley and Justin can get away with it and not get criticized, "Directioners" are now wondering why the boys of One Direction are any different.

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