Zayn Malik may not have left One Direction on the best of terms in 2015, but Liam Payne still cares for his former bandmate, who is expecting a baby with Gigi Hadid.
“I just wanted to say congratulations to Zayn and Gigi,” the “Midnight” singer, 26, said on Instagram Live on Sunday, May 3. “Obviously, you know, they’re having a baby at the moment.”
Payne, who shares 3-year-old son Bear with ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole, explained that he “wanted to make sure I said something on my own before I start getting asked about it relentlessly by everybody.”
The “Strip That Down” crooner is the first member of One Direction to publicly congratulate the couple on their baby news.
Multiple sources confirmed to Us Weekly on April 28 that Hadid, 25, is pregnant with her first child with Malik, 27. “She’s always wanted to start a family with Zayn,” one insider revealed, while another told Us that the parents-to-be “have such a strong connection and so much love for each other.”
While the model’s father, Mohamed Hadid, played coy when asked about her pregnancy, her mother, Yolanda Hadid, spilled the beans during an April 29 interview.
“I’m excited to become an Oma in September, especially after I lost my mom so recently,” the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, 56, told RTL Boulevard. “But this is the beauty of life, one soul leaves us and a new one comes in. We feel very blessed.”
Gigi confirmed the news the following day, saying on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, “We’re very excited and happy and grateful for everyone’s well wishes and support.”
The “Pillowtalk” singer and the Victoria’s Secret stunner, who are expecting a baby girl, have been dating on and off since 2015.
“Zayn has always been so into Gigi and she’s always been such a big part of his life,” a source recently told Us exclusively. “Even when there were times that they weren’t a couple, the love was still very much there.”
