Louis Tomlinson, girlfriend Eleanor Calder break up

LONDON, March 23 (UPI) -- Louis Tomlinson and Eleanor Calder broke up earlier this month.

The 23-year-old One Direction singer's rep revealed the news to People, saying, "Louis and Eleanor split up two weeks ago. They have not announced this as they wanted some privacy during this time."

Tomlinson and Calder were introduced in 2011, and started dating in fall of that year. The Mirror reports Calder flew to Sydney in February in an attempt to save the relationship, and a source confirmed to People distance played a role in the breakup.

"Louis is really upset about it all," a friend of Tomlinson's told the magazine. "They tried really hard to make it work but it was just impossible. He's away for nine months a year [touring] and they just grew apart."

The split comes amid rumors Tomlinson was seen kissing another woman last weekend in Bangkok. Bandmate Zayn Malik recently exited the One Direction tour after he, too, was spotted cozying up a woman in Phuket, but denied he was unfaithful to fiancée Perrie Edwards.