It sounds like Zayn Malik is not Matt Lauer's biggest fan right now.

After Malik was forced to miss a performance by his band, British sensation One Direction, on "The Today Show" due to illness, host Matt Lauer brought up unsubstantiated rumors that substance abuse may be the real cause of the absence. While the other 1D boys were quick to jump to their bandmate's defense, Malik later expressed his frustration over the comment to British newspaper The Sun.

"Is it something more serious than just a minor illness?" Lauer asked the four remaining members of One Direction at the start of the Monday concert event. "There have been rumours of substance abuse, what's going on?"

Band member Liam Payne answered, "No, he's just got a stomach bug, he's okay. He's just at home. He just needs to rest. He's okay."

The other boys in the band, including Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson did not appear too happy with Lauer's question.

Malik reportedly spoke to The Sun on Monday night, revealing his anger over the implication made by Lauer.

"I'm really angry and upset by what was said on 'The Today Show'" Malik told The Sun reporter Dan Wootton. "I was really ill at the weekend. That's why I couldn't fly to America."

Malik added that he was "gutted" about missing the performance with his One Direction bandmates and assured The Sun that he plans to re-join the rest of the 1D bunch once he is feeling better.

Monday's event was held at Universal Resort in Orlando, Florida on the day that the band's new album, "Four," was released.

The "rumors" that Lauer referred to in his question may have been based on a video that surfaced in May, which allegedly showed Malik and Tomlinson smoking a joint in Peru.

According to the Sun, a source indicated that Malik was particularly upset because there is a vast difference between smoking marijuana and Lauer's serious insinuation.  

"[Malik] is utterly shocked. Sure he might have smoked a bit of dope in the past, but substance abuse is a completely different thing."

Perhaps there's not too much bad blood between One Direction and "The Today Show," however. Harry Styles thanked the NBC morning show on Instagram for hosting the show.

"Thank you to @todayshow for having us this morning," wrote Styles. "You're always very nice."