Zayn Malik says he was never in love with Gigi Hadid: 'Maybe it was lust'

Zayn Malik is offering insight into his former relationship with Gigi Hadid.

In a Feb. 11 episode of the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, the "One Direction" alum explained that, as his understanding of love has evolved, he is unsure whether he ever truly fell for the fashion model.

"Maybe it was lust, maybe it was this, maybe it was that. I don't feel like it was love. 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 told host Alex Cooper. "I will always love her, but I don’t know if I was in love with her."

He continued: "I felt like when I [first] said it, I think people took it a tap away. So I’m just like, I have so much respect for this woman and I do love her, a crazy amount, but no. I don’t think I was in love with her at that point, otherwise I would’ve been a better version of myself."

Malik and Hadid first started dating in 2015 but officially split in October 2021. The two co-parent their five-year-old daughter, Khai.