Zayn Malik’s turbulent love life: From dumping fiancée Perrie Edwards by TEXT to a ‘lustful’ romance with Gigi Hadid that ended when he ‘shoved’ her mother – as One Direction claims he’s never been ‘in love’

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Because Zayn Malik was in a very popular boy band, people have always been curious about his relationships.

Ever since rising to popularity with One Direction on The X Factor in 2010, people have paid almost as much attention to his romantic life as they have to his music.

His relationships have always been dramatic, from getting engaged to Perrie Edwards of Little Mix to his public breakup with Gigi Hadid.

Throughout his public relationships, rumors of infidelity have surfaced, and he’s been accused of ending things with partners via text message.

On Wednesday, Zayn, age 33, surprised everyone by revealing he doesn’t believe he was ever truly in love with Gigi.

He had often said he’d never experienced real love, even though he’d been in many relationships. This week, when asked about those comments, he reaffirmed his stance.

He recently shared on the Call Her Daddy podcast that although he thought he was in love with Gigi at the time, he now understands his feelings weren’t as strong as he initially believed.

Looking back on his six-year, sometimes complicated relationship with a Victoria’s Secret model – with whom he shares a daughter – he explained that his definition of love is constantly evolving.

I used to think it was love, but looking back now, I’m not so sure. It could have been just attraction, or something else entirely. I don’t believe it was actually love.

Zayn explained that although he and Gigi aren’t together romantically, he still loves her very much and always will, especially as she’s the mother of his child.

He wanted to make it clear that he will always have love and respect for G, because she is the mother of his child.

I care about her deeply and always will, but I’m not sure I was ever in love with her. I felt a very strong connection, but looking back, I don’t think it was romantic love. If it had been, I believe I would have acted differently and been a better person.

His latest comment gives a glimpse into his chaotic romantic past.

Zayn’s first public relationship was with singer Geneva Lane in 2010.

They dated briefly after meeting on The X Factor, but he reportedly ended things to pursue a relationship with Rebecca Ferguson.

The singer and Rebecca started dating in 2011 while getting ready for a tour across the UK. They had both previously appeared on the seventh season of the British talent show, The X Factor, though as separate contestants.

Rebecca and her boyfriend sparked conversation due to their age difference – she was 24 with two children, and he was only 18.

Rebecca admitted that because of their age difference, she ended up covering Zayn’s expenses during their four-month relationship.

When asked about her relationship with the singer in a past interview, she revealed she was 23 at the time and he was 18. She also mentioned she often paid for things when they were together.

‘People will be quite surprised by that. But I’d split the bill now.’ 

However, after four months together, they called it quits due to the demands of fame.

Zayn explained to The Mirror that he was warned early in his career that maintaining a relationship would be difficult, and he later found this to be true during a past relationship.

‘We both mutually decided.

‘Am I sad? We’re just getting on with it and doing our own thing. We’re still friends though.’

He then started a romance with Hollyoaks actress Stephanie Davis. 

Okay, so here’s a cute story! I heard about how this singer really wanted to ask this girl out, but he didn’t have her number. Luckily, he knew Niall Horan from One Direction, and Niall happened to be friends with one of her friends! Niall was happy to play matchmaker and pass along her number. It’s a small world, isn’t it? Sometimes you need a little help from your friends – or a famous bandmate – to make a connection!

She remembered Zayn calling her while she was getting chips and gravy at the Hollyoaks canteen, and she told the other housemates, ‘I didn’t mind, it wasn’t a problem.’

He told me he was planning a trip to Leeds and asked if we could meet up. I explained that I’d need my mom to drive me there.

‘We spent three hours on the phone talking and he said he liked me because I’m so easy to talk to.’ 

After dating for five months, Stephanie and her boyfriend broke up. She later shared that she even had to get a new phone number to avoid contact with him.

Stephanie revealed that she ended things with him because he was seeing Little Mix star Perrie.

In a past interview, she shared that they dated for five months in 2011, shortly before he began his relationship with Perrie.

‘We actually broke up because I found out he had been meeting up with Perrie.

It’s just an unfortunate situation. Zayn’s a good person, and I have nothing negative to say about him.

Zayn and Perrie initially connected when One Direction returned to perform on The X Factor during Little Mix’s time as contestants on the show.

Despite his good looks, his success wasn’t enough to charm Perrie. 

In a 2014 interview, she admitted she hadn’t been immediately impressed with Zayn when they first met. She explained that because she didn’t know him, he came across as a bit arrogant and self-centered.

Oh my gosh, it was April 2012 when everyone finally knew! They were officially together! I was so thrilled! Everyone was worried about how they’d make it work with both of their insane schedules, but honestly, they just became the power couple, everyone was obsessed with them, and so was I!

Zayn and his girlfriend became serious quickly, and he met her family in July 2012. He told The Mirror he was a little nervous about meeting her brother, who was a large, navy serviceman, but her brother turned out to be very welcoming and not at all protective.

Only a month after their romance began, rumors of cheating surfaced, marking the first of several similar accusations.

A video surfaced, reportedly taken by a hotel guest, appearing to show Zayn Malik flirting with another woman.

Following a wave of negativity, Zayn removed his X (formerly Twitter) account. This came after Perrie deactivated her own account in May.

Just a few weeks later, in September 2012, another cheating scandal emerged. A leaked phone recording seemed to show Zayn flirting with women other than his partner, sparking new controversy.

By the end of 2012, Perrie and her boyfriend had dismissed the rumors surrounding their relationship. Her Little Mix bandmates publicly confirmed their support, enthusiastically telling an interviewer that they had ‘never seen a boy so in love with a girl.’

In February 2013, Zayn quickly returned to the UK hoping to repair his relationship. This came after photos surfaced suggesting he had been with a waitress during One Direction’s tour.

Courtney Webb, an Australian, publicly shared photos she took of the singer while he was sleeping. However, Perrie once again supported her partner.

By June, Zayn had proved his love by getting a cartoon-style image of Perrie tattooed on his arm. 

Two months later, Perrie and Zayn went one step further – proposing to his girlfriend of 18 months. 

Fans of One Direction were shocked and excited when Perrie Edwards appeared to be wearing an engagement ring at the London premiere of their movie, ‘This Is Us.’ Family members later confirmed the happy news.

November 2014 brought more happiness for the couple when they adopted a tiny Yorkshire Terrier named Teddy. However, that same month, Zayn faced controversy when he didn’t travel to the US with his band to promote their new album. This led to questions, and Matt Lauer on the Today show even asked if it was due to drug use.

In March 2015, Perrie was seen without her engagement ring and said she’d sent it to be cleaned.

About two weeks later, a major conflict arose in their relationship when Zayn publicly apologized for photos surfacing of him with his arm around Lauren Richardson during a night out in Thailand.

The boyband singer was on vacation in Phuket with his bandmate Louis when photos surfaced of him holding hands with Lauren. He quickly returned home for urgent conversations with his girlfriend, Perrie. Officially, his sudden exit from the band’s tour was attributed to feeling stressed.

Zayn posted a tweet to show his affection for Perrie Edwards, stating he was 22 and in love with her. He acknowledged that some people were jealous and apologized if his actions appeared otherwise.

According to a source at the Daily Mail, Zayn ended the engagement shortly after leaving One Direction. This happened while Perrie Edwards was busy promoting Little Mix’s new song, “Black Magic.”

The singer was completely shocked by Zayn’s decision, and a source said she’s heartbroken.

Zayn and Perrie ended their relationship in August 2015 after being together for four years. Perrie later shared that he ended their engagement by sending her a text message.

In Little Mix’s book, Our World, Perrie Edwards described the breakup as a truly awful experience, calling it the worst time of her life.

‘A four-year relationship, two-year engagement ended by a simple text message. Just like that.

‘Even though things my career were going really well, it was incredibly difficult for me.’

Zayn said he would never break up with Perrie through a text message, telling Fader magazine he has too much respect for her to do that.

I love her deeply and my feelings won’t change. I would never throw away a four-year relationship so easily.

We all know this, and it’s important the public is aware too. I won’t be going into details about my actions or the reasons behind them.

Many people think Little Mix’s 2016 hit, “Shout Out To My Ex,” was written about Perrie Edwards’ breakup with Zayn Malik.

Zayn started dating model Gigi Hadid in late 2015, reportedly first connecting at an after-party for the American Music Awards following a performance by Justin Bieber.

I remember reading back in November 2015 that, according to a source, they weren’t officially dating yet, but everyone knew there was a strong connection and they were really into each other. It felt like it was only a matter of time!

He launched his solo career with a steamy music video for his first single, “Pillowtalk,” featuring model Gigi Hadid.

Suggestive photos and playful online conversations sparked rumors that their relationship was more than just a friendship.

They made their relationship official in May, appearing together and holding hands at the Met Gala – a confirmation of what everyone already suspected.

He shared that he and Hadid first connected at a Victoria’s Secret party in November. He’d seen her picture before and was immediately drawn to her, so he asked her out on a date.

He described her as poised and elegant, but not at all stuck-up. He emphasized her confidence and how comfortably she carries herself, calling her ‘cool’.

Gigi and Zayn’s relationship continued to thrive, and she photographed him for the Versus Versace Spring 2017 ad campaign.

The luxury Italian brand posted a short video on Twitter featuring Gigi Hadid asking, ‘Who do you want with you when you’re alone?’ Zayn Malik responded with a smile, saying, ‘You.’

In January 2018, Gigi posted a sweet birthday message for her boyfriend. She wrote that she loved him immensely and was motivated by his constant effort to improve himself each day.

However, by March, things had changed, and Gigi and Zayn announced their breakup with separate posts on Twitter.

Fans were surprised to see Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik kissing in New York City, just weeks after they publicly announced they were taking a break from their relationship. It seems things aren’t as straightforward as they appeared.

However, Zayn was a no show to her 23rd birthday party in April.

She posted a selfie to her Instagram stories with the caption ‘flyin home to my happy place,’ and he was visible in the background.

However, in 2019, they ended things once more, and sources told US Weekly that their relationship was ‘over for the time being’.

The couple publicly reaffirmed their relationship was going well on Valentine’s Day the following year.

Even though she’d been keeping a low profile during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Gigi Hadid announced she was pregnant while appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

We would have preferred to share the news ourselves, of course,” she explained. “But we’re thrilled and thankful for all the kind messages and support we’ve received.

Gigi delivered Khai during a home birth in Pennsylvania in mid-September with Zayn.

Zayn and Gigi ended their six-year relationship in 2021 following a disagreement between Zayn and Gigi’s mother, Yolanda Hadid.

In September 2021, the singer accepted a plea deal regarding charges stemming from an alleged incident involving Gigi Hadid’s mother, where he reportedly pushed her into a dresser and used offensive language towards her.

I was really surprised to learn through the court records that, on top of taking an anger management class, he’s also been sentenced to 360 days of probation. It just shows how seriously the court took things.

In a 2023 interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Zayn explained that he handled the situation as well as he could and referred to it as a private family matter.

He prefers to stay out of online arguments. He values his time and doesn’t want to waste it defending his opinions.

I understood the circumstances and what took place, and those involved also understand the full story. Ultimately, that’s all that’s important.

Honestly, I really just wanted to avoid any drama. I didn’t want to create a situation where things would escalate, or leave a record of a conflict that my daughter might stumble upon later on. It was about keeping things peaceful and protecting her from all of that.

I handled the situation as well as I could, and I don’t think there’s anything more to discuss. It involved a lot of negative energy.

These are personal family matters I prefer to handle privately. I’m a very involved parent, and if I were to share custody, I’d ideally want the majority of the time with my child – around 60 percent.

Gigi recently shared some personal details with Vogue about how she and Zayn are raising their child together.

Gigi shared that she and Zayn plan their schedules for looking after their child well in advance. While things sometimes need to be adjusted, they support each other and work together as parents.

The actress shared that she and her former partner have reached this point in their relationship with continued affection and a friendly understanding.

It really struck me when Gigi talked about how frustrating it is that people seem to think they understand everything just by knowing a little bit. It’s like, yeah, we share what we want to share, and we don’t owe anyone a full explanation of our lives. It’s a good reminder that we control our own narrative.

Honestly, what matters most to me is that we continue to raise our daughter as a team. It’s about so much more than just being co-parents; it’s about the deep respect we have for each other and everything we’ve shared and built together. That’s what I really want to focus on.

Zayn recently explained he doesn’t want another public relationship, stating that past experiences have taught him they aren’t a good fit for him.

He added that when he was young he ‘tended to get in trouble in relationships’.

He shared on the Call Her Daddy podcast that he doesn’t want another highly publicized relationship. He explained this was based on past experiences, and he didn’t want to offend anyone he’d previously dated publicly.

I realized this isn’t a good fit for me personally. I’m a private person and don’t need a lot of attention or validation from others. I prefer relationships to be focused on a close connection between just two people.

I think someone with a different personality – someone who isn’t interested in that – would be a better fit for me.

He admitted he wasn’t looking to date anyone right now, saying he really enjoyed being single and the freedom it gave him.

Honestly, when he said he wasn’t afraid of being alone, it just… hit different. It wasn’t about dismissing anyone he’d ever been with, he made that so clear. He said it felt… freeing. Like a weight lifted. It was honestly the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard, like he’s finally truly himself, and it just… wow. It made me see everything in a whole new light.

I’m someone who likes to live life at my own pace and be independent. It’s incredibly liberating to be able to make my own decisions and plans, and even just sleep in whenever I feel like it.

I used to struggle in relationships, mostly because I was immature and made mistakes – like talking to other women when I was already with someone. I’ve learned from those experiences, and now I can move forward without feeling guilty about the past.

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2026-02-12 16:38