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Zayn Malik‘s daughter, Khai, got a very generous gift from the Tooth Fairy when she lost her first tooth, with the One Direction alum shocking Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper after revealing how much money he doled out for the occasion.
While guesting on an episode of the podcast posted Wednesday (Feb. 11), Malik opened up about how meaningful it is for him to be able to provide so much for his daughter — whom he shares with ex Gigi Hadid — when he grew up with a lot less money. “Her dad is a pop star, her mom is a model, and certain things that she does in life might not always reflect what other people’s understanding of reality is,” he began.
“So, I think I gave her a bit too much money from the Tooth Fairy,” he then conceded. “And her mom gave me s–t about it, and I was like, ‘At the end of the day, I work my a– off, and I should be able to give my kid what I want to give her,’ you know?”
When Malik revealed the chunk of change Khai received for her baby tooth — “500 quid,” which is equal to nearly $700 — Cooper was flabbergasted. “Hold on, I may have to agree with her mom on this,” the podcaster said, to which he replied, “People in general obviously look at it some type of way, but look, at the end of the day, I was lucky if I got anything for my teeth.”
“I’ve worked really hard for everything I’ve earned, so I don’t feel like I should have to answer for them things, you know?” he added.
Malik and Hadid welcomed Khai in September 2020. The couple dated on and off for about six years before splitting up for good in 2021, a few years after which the singer made headlines for saying that — despite his past relationships with the supermodel and his ex-fiancée, Little Mix’s Perrie Edwards — he doesn’t think he’s ever been in love.
Elsewhere on Call Her Daddy, Malik clarified what he meant when he said that. “Just to say this on record, I will always love G, ’cause she’s the reason my child is on this earth, and I have the utmost respect for her,” he told Cooper. “I will always love her, but I don’t know if I was ever in love with her.”
“Before, even when I said it, I think people took it a type of away, so I’m just like, ‘Yo, I have so much respect for this woman, and I do love her a crazy amount,’ but yeah,” he continued. “I don’t think I was in love with her at that point. Otherwise, I would’ve been a better version of myself.”
The podcast appearance comes shortly after Malik announced that his fifth solo album, Konnakol, is slated to drop this April. He already released the project’s lead single, “Die for Me,” and in May, he’ll embark on an arena tour through the U.K. and North and South America.
Watch Malik’s full interview on Call Her Daddy above.
