Zayn Malik has opened up candidly about his long and complicated relationship with Gigi Hadid, admitting that while his feelings for her have always been strong, he now questions whether he was ever truly in love.
Speaking nearly five years after the former couple finally went their separate ways, the 33-year-old singer reflected on their on-and-off relationship, which lasted around five years and resulted in the birth of their daughter, Khai.
During a February 11 appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Zayn was clear that his respect and affection for Gigi remain unwavering.
“To be fair, just to have 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,” he said.
“I will always love her, but I don’t know if I was in love with her.”
Zayn, who first began dating the supermodel in 2016, reiterated that although his feelings were intense, he now sees them differently.
“I do love her a crazy amount, but no, I don’t think I was in love with her at that point,” he said, adding that if he had been, he believes he would have shown up as a better version of himself.
Looking back, the former One Direction star acknowledged that his understanding of love has evolved with age.
He explained that at the time, he may have believed what he felt was love, but hindsight has brought clarity.
“My understanding of love is always developing,” Zayn shared.
“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.”
Zayn and Gigi, who share five-year-old Khai, split for good in 2021.
Gigi has since moved on and has been dating actor Bradley Cooper since 2023. For Zayn, life after high-profile relationships has brought unexpected peace.
He admitted that being single no longer scares him and, in fact, feels liberating.
With no ill will towards his past partners, including former fiancée Perrie Edwards, he said being on his own has allowed him to live entirely on his own terms.
He described the freedom of making his own plans, answering only to himself and even something as simple as sleeping whenever he wants as a positive change.
The singer also acknowledged his own mistakes, admitting he was young and sometimes crossed lines in past relationships.
He said he has learned from those experiences and that being single has removed the guilt that once followed him.
Zayn’s reflections paint a picture of growth and self-awareness, showing a man reassessing his past not with bitterness, but with honesty, maturity and continued respect for the mother of his child.
