Zayn Malik says Gigi Hadid called him out after he gave their daughter $500 from the tooth fairy
Former One Direction star said it meant everything to him that he could provide for his daughter after growing up with financial instability himself
Zayn Malik is aware that his daughter’s upbringing is anything but typical. Still, he couldn’t resist spoiling her when it came to her first gift from the tooth fairy.
The former One Direction star, 33, shares five-year-old daughter Khai with his ex-girlfriend, supermodel Gigi Hadid, whom he dated from late 2015 to 2021.
Appearing on a new episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, the British “Dusk Till Dawn” singer said he feels fortunate to be able to provide for his daughter, especially after growing up with financial instability himself.
However, he admitted that he probably took it too far after she lost her first tooth. “I think I gave her a bit too much money from the tooth fairy,” Malik said, revealing he gave her $500.
When host Alex Cooper reacted in disbelief, he defended himself, arguing: “It’s her first tooth. And her mom gave me s*** about it. And I was like, at the end of the day, like, I work my ass off. And like, I should be able to give my kid what I want to give her, you know?”
Born to a Pakistani-British father and a British mother, Malik is one of four children, raised in inner-city Bradford, West Yorkshire. He has been open about growing up in a working-class family and how he faced food insecurity and the stigma surrounding it.
Speaking to Cooper, he said that being able to provide so much for his daughter without the same stress “is everything.”
“Even to the degree that, like, you know, I’m raising her in an environment that, you know, isn’t the same as everybody’s,” Malik acknowledged. “Her dad is a pop star. Her mom is a model. And certain things that she does in life might not, you know, always reflect what other people’s understanding of reality is.”
Elsewhere in the interview, he candidly divulged that he had never been in love with Hadid, 30, while they were together.
“I will always love G because she is the reason my child is on this earth, and I have the utmost respect for her,” he clarified. “But I don’t think I was in love with her at that point, otherwise I would have been a better version of myself.”
The two first sparked dating rumors in November 2015. They later confirmed their relationship in January 2016 after Hadid starred in the artist’s “Pillowtalk” music video. They went on to date on and off for several years before welcoming their daughter in September 2020.
They officially split in October 2021, following allegations that he assaulted Hadid’s mother, Yolanda. He vehemently denied the accusations, saying: “For the sake of my daughter I decline to give any further details and I hope that Yolanda will reconsider her false allegations and move towards healing these family issues in private.”
Malik then retreated from the spotlight, reemerging in 2024 with the release of his fourth solo studio album, Room Under the Stairs.
Just last week, he announced his forthcoming album, KONNAKOL.
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