Zayn Malik Says He Doesn't Know If He Was 'Ever In Love' With Ex Gigi Hadid: "Maybe It Was Lust"

Former One Direction member Zayn Malik has spoken candidly about his past relationship with supermodel Gigi Hadid, saying he does not believe he was "ever in love" with her, despite sharing a daughter together.

What's Happening

• Appearing on Alexandra Cooper's podcast Call Her Daddy, Zayn Malik reflected on his understanding of love and how it has changed over time. 
• When asked about a previous comment in which he said he was unsure if he had ever truly been in love, he stood by that statement.
• "I will always love her, but I don't know if I was ever in love with her," he said.
• "You said in an interview that you don't know if you've ever truly been in love. Do you still stand by that?" he was asked.
• "Yeah. My understanding of love is always developing," the former One Direction member replied.
• He added, "At that moment in time, I might have thought it was love, but as I got older, I realised maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was lust. Maybe it was this, maybe it was that. I don't feel like it was love."
• Clarifying his remarks about Gigi Hadid, Malik added, "To be fair, just to say this on the record, I will always love G, 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."
• He concluded, "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 have been a better version of myself."

Background

Zayn Malik had previously made similar comments during an appearance on The Zach Sang Show in 2024, when he said: "I don't know if I've ever actually truly been in love, at this point." The statement generated headlines at the time.

Malik and Gigi Hadid were first linked in late 2015 and later confirmed their romance on social media. 

Hadid appeared in Malik's music video for his debut solo single Pillowtalk, which was widely believed to be inspired by her. The pair went on to make their Met Gala debut together and were frequently seen at public events.

Their relationship experienced several ups and downs over the years. They initially split in 2018 before reconciling, then broke up again in 2019. The couple reunited in 2020 and later announced they were expecting their first child together.

In September 2020, they welcomed their daughter Khai. Malik shared the news on X at the time, writing: "Our baby girl is here, healthy & beautiful. To try put into words how i am feeling right now would be an impossible task. The love i feel for this tiny human is beyond my understanding. Grateful to know her, proud to call her mine, & thankful for the life we will have together x."

Malik and Hadid eventually ended their relationship in October 2021. Hadid is now dating actor Bradley Cooper.