Zayn Malik Has No Regrets About His Altercation With Yolanda Hadid (Say What?)

Zayn Malik did his first interview in six years and dropped some shocking news, including the fact that he doesn't regret how he handled his situation with Yolanda Hadid.

For those who may not remember, back in 2021, Yolanda accused Malik of physically and verbally assaulting her, per TMZ. At the time, the former One Direction member was in a relationship and had a child with Yolanda's eldest daughter, Gigi Hadid. Documents obtained by the outlet revealed that Yolanda claimed the "Pillowtalk" singer had called her a "f***ing Dutch slut" and told her to "stay away from [my] f***ing daughter." Besides the verbal assaults, the documents also claimed that Malik "shoved her [Yolanda] into a dresser causing mental anguish and physical pain." The musician denied all the allegations, however, Malik shocked everyone by pleading no contest to the harassment claims.

Malik later explained his reasoning for pleading no contest on Twitter. He shared, "As you all know, I am a private person, and I very much want to create a safe and private space for my daughter to grow up in...In an effort to protect that space for her, I agreed to not contest claims arising from an argument I had with a family member of my partner's who entered our home while my partner was away several weeks ago." The "Dusk Til Dawn" singer wanted to put his daughter, Khai, first. And even years later, Malik has no regrets about the decision he made.

Zayn Malik will always put his daughter, Khai, first, even if his character is questioned. In 2021, when Yolanda Hadid claimed Malik harassed her, the musician was solely focused on the well-being of his daughter. At the time, the "Pillowtalk" singer shared a blanket statement on why he pleaded no contest, and that seemed to be the last we heard about the incident...until now.

In July 2023, the former One Direction member sat down with Alex Cooper on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast and opened up more about his decision to remain silent as serious allegations were being thrown at him. He shared, "I knew what the situation was, I knew what happened, and the people involved knew what happened too, and that's all I really cared about." Malik revealed he didn't want to bring any "attention" to the situation and wasn't trying to get involved in a feud. Besides just knowing the truth, Malik also wanted to protect his daughter.

The internet is forever, and when Khai is all grown up, Malik doesn't want her to see him in an awful light. He shared, "Any sort of narrative online where my daughter was going to look back and read that and be able to read into it, and it would just be something that was ... There was no point. I believe I dealt with it in the best way. In an amicable, respectful way, and that's all that needs to be said."