Former One Direction member Zayn Malik sparked conversations after opening up about his past relationship with supermodel Gigi Hadid, saying that he was "never in love" with her.
In an interview with Alex Cooper on the Call Her Daddy podcast on February 11, Zayn was asked to revisit a recent comment he made about not knowing if he was ever truly in love with his former partner. Zayn affirmed this and explained that his idea of love had shifted as he matured.
“Yeah. My understanding of love is always developing,” he said.
“At that moment in time, I might have thought it was love, but as I got older, I realized maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was lust. Maybe it was this, maybe it was that. I don’t feel like it was love,” he continued.
READ: Gigi Hadid on co-parenting with Zayn Malik: ‘We have each other’s backs’
While acknowledging the depth of his feelings, Zayn made it clear that emotional attachment does not automatically equate to being “in love.”
“To be fair, just to say this on the record, I will always love G (Gigi), because she is the reason my child is on this Earth, and I have the utmost respect for her. I will always love her, but I don’t know if I was ever in love with her.”
The singer shares a five-year old daughter with Gigi named Khai. Their on-and-off relationship began in 2015 and ultimately ended in October 2021. Despite their split, they have continued to co-parent their daughter.
In the interview, Zayn also reflected on how love should have been translated into personal growth, if ever he was truly in love with the supermodel.
“I felt like when I [first] said it, I think people took it a tad away,” he said. “So I’m just like, I have so much respect for this woman, and I do love her – a crazy amount, but no. I don’t think I was in love with her at that point; otherwise, I would’ve been a better version of myself.”
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Speaking about life post-relationship and now that he is single, Zayn shared that he has found freedom in being on his own.
“No disrespect at all, it was freeing. I am that type of person who runs on my own clock, answers to myself. So, it was so freeing to me. I could just do things, make plans. Sleep until any time I want,” he said.
He also reflected on how past relationships have shaped him: “You live and learn from it, but this way, there’s no guilt.”
When asked about introducing future partners to his daughter, Zayn was clear about his intentions, stating: “I would have to be very serious about that woman and maybe plan on marrying her before I introduce her to my daughter.”
Meanwhile, Zayn is gearing up for the release of his upcoming album Konnakol to be released on April 17. Its first single, “Die For Me” was already dropped last February 6. He is also set for his first ever headline arena and stadium tour starting this May.
Gigi is now dating actor Bradley Cooper, with reports of their relationship surfacing in late 2023.