Zayn Malik on leaving One Direction and feud with Yolanda Hadid

NEW YORK: Former One Direction (1D) member Zayn Malik has opened up about his departure from the band and his row with Yolanda Hadid, the mother of his ex-girlfriend, Gigi Hadid.

Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast with Alex Cooper, the British singer shared that he had realized that 1D was coming to an end when his fellow band members stopped signing new contracts.

“I knew something was happening, so I just got ahead of the curve. I was like, I’m just going to get out of here, I think this is done,” he added.

The American Music Award recipient shared his reasons to pursue his own music career. “I completely selfishly wanted to be the first person to go and make my own record. If I’m being completely honest with you, I was like, I’m going to jump the gun here. See…I’m a passive dude, but when it comes to my music and my business, I’m serious about it and I’m competitive, so I wanted to be the first to go and do my own thing. That was the reason.” he said.

Malik left 1D during their 2015 tour, citing stress as major factor that time. He told Cooper that there were issues within their friendships, and they had grown “tired of each other”.

Meanwhile, In 2021, there were allegations that Malik had engaged in a physical altercation with Yolanda Hadid, which he denied.

The Dusk Till Dawn singer said that he did not contest the charges out of consideration for his daughter, Khai, whom he shares with Gigi Hadid. He said that he did not want to engage in negative narratives that his daughter might come across in the future.

“I believe I dealt with it in the best way, an amicable, respectful way, and that’s all that needs to be said,” the singer said.

Earlier in June, Malik signed with Mercury Records, and his highly-anticipated comeback single Love Like This is set to be released on July 21.