Zayn Malik is trending again, and this time it is not for a new album or a fashion campaign. During his February 11 appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, the former One Direction member reflected on his past relationships, mentioning Gigi Hadid directly, and dropped a line that immediately set social media on fire.

"I tended to get in trouble in relationships, 'cause I was young, did certain things, spoke to other females when I shouldn't have been," he admitted. "You live and learn from it."

He did not use the word "cheating." He did not name names. But he also did not deny wrongdoing.

For fans who followed his high profile romances with Gigi Hadid and Perrie Edwards, the phrasing felt deliberate. Malik appeared to acknowledge behavior that crossed boundaries without offering specifics. When he said he "spoke to other females when I shouldn't have been," many interpreted it as emotional or possibly physical infidelity. However, he stopped short of confirming any affair.

Malik dated Hadid on and off from 2015 until 2021. They share a daughter, Khai, born in 2020. During the same podcast interview, he was careful to emphasize respect. "I will always love G," he said, clarifying that she is the mother of his child and that he holds "the utmost respect" for her. He also questioned whether what he felt at the time was truly love, suggesting it may have been infatuation or lust.

"Because my understanding of love is always developing. At that moment in time, I might have thought it was love, but as I got older, I realized maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was lust. Maybe it was this ... maybe it was that ... I don't feel like it was love," he said.

Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The Huffington Post

Luckily, Hadid seems to be happily dating Bradley Cooper. This one has to sting, though.

His relationship with Edwards ended in 2015 after a three year engagement. At the time, British tabloids were filled with rumors that Malik had been seen with other women. He denied cheating back then. Edwards later described the breakup as painful and abrupt, though she has largely moved on and now has her own family.

What stands out in this new interview is tone. Malik framed his past behavior as immaturity. "You live and learn," he said, positioning his mistakes as part of growing up under extreme fame. He was in his late teens and early twenties when his relationships were unfolding in public view. The pressure of global stardom after leaving One Direction in 2015 only intensified scrutiny.

He also described being single as "freeing," explaining that he no longer feels guilt or pressure in relationships. That comment, paired with his reflection about not being "in love," suggests he is reassessing what commitment means to him now at 33.

"No disrespect to all the past relationships I've been in," Zayn added. "No disrespect at all, it was freeing. I am that type of person who runs on my own clock, answers to myself. So, it was so freeing to me. I could just do things, make plans. Sleep until any time I want."

Meanwhile, Hadid has been linked to Bradley Cooper since 2023, and both appear focused on co-parenting Khai amicably.

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Zayn Malik, Gigi Hadid, Podcast