Zayn Malik's strict rule for introducing girlfriends to daughter with Gigi Hadid

Zayn Malik has shared the important guideline he follows before allowing anyone to meet his daughter.

The former member of One Direction, 33, is the father of five-year-old Khai with his ex-girlfriend, supermodel Gigi Hadid.

In his first interview in quite some time, Zayn opened up about his private life discussing his dating experiences and when he might introduce girlfriends to his daughter.

Zayn explained that he holds a strict policy when it involves Khai meeting someone he dates: he must consider the person as "The One" before that happens.

During a conversation on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Alex Cooper asked Zayn when he would make such introductions, and he replied: “I think I would need to be genuinely serious about her, maybe even consider marriage, before she meets my daughter.”

He added: “It seems like a pretty big deal, call it old-fashioned, but I also don’t want to put that burden on someone else.

“Like, if they meet my daughter and form a bond, and then things don’t work between us, it puts her in a tough spot. That wouldn't be fair to her.”

“It’s emotional, you know? I just wouldn’t want her to experience that.”

After chatting with Alex, Zayn noted that ideally, he would introduce someone special to Khai after about five to six months of being in a relationship – joking that waiting until marriage might be pushing it.

“When I’m sure she’s not crazy,” he joked.

Zayn's romance with Gigi lasted six years, and they welcomed Khai in September 2020.

Their relationship ended the next year, concluding a turbulent on-and-off phase.

In the recent interview, Zayn also confessed uncertainty about whether he was ever truly "in love" with the model.