Entertainment
Yolanda Hadid once praised daughter Gigi’s ex Zayn Malik as ‘like a son’ before assault allegations
Zayn has denied ‘striking’ Yolanda, mother of his former girlfriend Gigi (Picture: Getty)
Yolanda Hadid thought highly of her daughter Gigi Hadid’s boyfriend Zayn Malik prior to the controversy that has unfolded this week.
Reports emerged that Yolanda, 57, has accused Zayn, 28, of ‘striking’ her during a recent altercation. It was said that the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star was even ‘seriously considering filing a police report’ although no such report has been filed.
Zayn ‘adamantly’ denied the claims on Thursday before sources revealed he has split from supermodel Gigi after six years together. It was then reported that he pleaded guilty to harassing Gigi and Yolanda.
It appears to be an almighty downfall for the couple, who were thought to be one of the strongest in showbiz.
They began dating in 2015 and welcomed their daughter, Khai, in September 2020.
The allegations are particularly surprising as Yolanda and Zayn are thought to have had a close relationship.
Yolanda once described Zayn as ‘like a son’ to her (Picture: Getty Images)
In 2015, she shared a cute photo of Zayn and Gigi smiling at each other with the caption: ‘Happiness is seeing your kids happy and realizing they turned out to be really good and genuine people…….. #Family #Love.’
Three years later, she heaped praise on Zayn and explained how she had taken him under her wing when he moved to the US following his departure from One Direction.
‘When you raise your children, I hope I instilled the best in them to make the right choices and turn to me and say “I love this man” then I’m going to love them too,’ Yolanda is quoted as saying by the Evening Standard in 2018.
The reality star continued: ‘This is their journey and I’m just here to support both of them as long as they make each other happy, working through things then I’m happy.
‘He’s a beautiful human being from Bradford, England. He’s from the same background that I’m from, him and I get along great and he’s like a son to me. It’s all good.’
She added: ‘He has no family here and he’s so far away so I understand that life because I lived that life. I think that I’m just a momma to him.’
Gigi’s father Mohamed Hadid also seemed to think highly of Zayn as he praised the singer’s parenting.
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The businessman told the Mail Online in January 2021: ‘I have met him and he’s a great, great father to my grandchild. I saw his actions and he seems like he’ll make a great father and that’s all I’m interested in, to be honest – [if he’s] good to my daughter and granddaughter.’
Zayn denied the physical altercation in a statement to TMZ, which said: ‘I adamantly deny striking Yolanda Hadid and for the sake of my daughter I decline to give any further details and I hope that Yolanda will reconsider her false allegations and move towards healing these family issues in private.’
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