When Zayn Malik Was Kicked off of Tinder for ‘Catfishing’: ‘It’s Not Been Too Successful for Me’

Following the conclusion of two notable relationships, including one with model Gigi Hadid that resulted in fatherhood, Zayn Malik turned to dating apps in pursuit of new romantic connections. In an exclusive word with NYLON for their May cover story, the former One Direction bandmate disclosed about his dating life and how dating apps have not worked for him.

The musician revealed that he tried his hand at dating through the Tinder app but found it to be less than fruitful. Rather, he mentioned experiencing such a lack of success that he was “kicked off once or twice.” Malik said, “Everyone accused me of catfishing. They’re like, ‘What are you using Zayn Malik’s pictures for?'” Adding further he said, “It’s not been too successful for me, I’ll be honest.” However, Malik doesn’t dwell on that hiccup too much. He’s since abandoned dating apps altogether and isn’t actively seeking a relationship with anyone. The PILLOWTALK artist also reflected on his early dating journey, including his engagement to Perrie Edwards while he was a member of One Direction.

Reflecting on the four-year relationship that spanned from his teenage years at 17 to his early twenties at 21, Malik reminisced by saying, “I didn’t know anything about anything at that point. I thought I did because I was 21. I was legally allowed to do everything, but I didn’t know s—.” Shortly after their breakup, Malik entered into a relationship with model Hadid. Their relationship experienced fluctuations until he was 27 years old, during which they shared custody of their child, Khai, born in September 2020. Malik, who grew up in Bradford, England, with a “very chill life” and currently resides on a farm in Pennsylvania, revealed that before joining One Direction, he had little experience with relationships, never having had a girlfriend. However, when the opportunity arose, he fully embraced it.

“My parents were kind of old-school, so I never brought a girlfriend home or anything. When I got the chance to do that, I jumped straight in, two feet first, and was like, ‘I’m going to have a girlfriend, and she’s going to live with me. This makes me a grown man,’” Malik shared. Talking about his current phase in life he said, “I’m really content and happy with being single for the first time in my life…. It’s probably wise to take your time before you fully invest in another human being as a lifelong partner.”

Earlier in a word with L’Officiel Malik shared about his love for music and gardening, “I love gardening. I got into it when I moved out here, probably about seven years ago. And now I get to share that experience with her [his little daughter Khai] because I’ve gotten a bit better at things.” Currently a single dad, Malik’s primary focus is on his role as a doting parent.