Zayn Malik talks about the alleged altercation with Yolanda Hadid in first interview in six years

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Zayn Malik
Zayn Malik arrives for the 60th Grammy Awards on January 28, 2018, in New York. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Zayn Malik of One Direction just gave his first interview in six years.

The singer was a guest on the latest episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast with Alex Cooper, and he opened up about his quiet life in Pennsylvania with his two-year-old daughter, Khai. Malik also spoke about his petsโ€”he has three cats, three dogs, and a lot of chickensโ€”as well as his love of Wawa and how being a father has changed him as a person.

โ€œSince Iโ€™ve had my daughter, the main thing [on] my mind is trying to be a good example for her,โ€ he said. โ€œThatโ€™s why Iโ€™m even doing this interview. I used to get a lot of anxiety around having a conversation like this, and I want her to look at me and be like, โ€˜Yo, my dadโ€™s doing this!โ€™โ€ He added that being a father makes him feel like he has to โ€œstep up.โ€

Zayn Malik "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala - Arrivals
Zayn Malik attends the โ€œManus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technologyโ€ Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City.

Malik shared a home at the Hadid family estate in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with his ex and mother of his child, Gigi Hadid. Still, he moved out after their relationship ended in 2021 following an alleged physical altercation between Malik and Hadidโ€™s mother, former Real Housewife of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Hadid. Malik moved nearby, however, so he could be close to his daughter.

โ€œI knew what happened and the people involved knew what happened too, and thatโ€™s all I really cared about,โ€ Malik told Cooper of the alleged incident. โ€œI just didnโ€™t want to bring attention to anything. I just wasnโ€™t trying to get into a negative back-and-forth with her, any sort of narrative online where my daughter was gonna look back and read that. If something happens in the family, Iโ€™d rather keep that between the family; you donโ€™t need a whole audience of people.โ€

As for why he left One Direction. โ€œI completely selfishly wanted to be the first person to go and make my own record. If Iโ€™m being completely honest with you, I was like, โ€˜Iโ€™m going to jump the gun here,โ€™โ€ Malik said. โ€œIโ€™m a passive dude, but when it comes to my music and my business, Iโ€™m serious about it and Iโ€™m competitive, so I wanted to be the first to go and do my own thing. That was the reason.โ€

Malik left One Direction during their 2015 tour, citing stress as the reason.

Zayn Malik Universal Pictures And Legendary Pictures' Premiere Of "Straight Outta Compton" - Arrivals
Zayn Malik at the premiere of Universal Pictures and Legendary Picturesโ€™ โ€œStraight Outta Comptonโ€ at the Microsoft Theatre on August 10, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.

โ€œThere was obviously underlying issues within our friendships, too. Weโ€™d got sick of each other, if Iโ€™m being completely honest,โ€ Malik added.

โ€œWe were closeโ€ฆ weโ€™d done crazy things with each other that nobody else in the world will ever understand and I look back on it now in a much fonder light,โ€ Malik added. โ€œThere were great experiences, I had great times with them, but weโ€™d just run our course.โ€


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