The One Direction star says he has both love and dislike for his former bandmate. Photo / Getty Images
The One Direction star says he has both love and dislike for his former bandmate. Photo / Getty Images
Liam Payne says there are "many reasons" why he dislikes his former One Direction bandmate Zayn Malik.
The Bedroom Floor singer has said there are a number of reasons for him to take umbrage with the Pillow Talk hitmaker, but he'll "always been on his side" after the 29-year-old singer had a tumultuous breakup with the mother of his 21-month-old daughter Khai, Gigi Hadid.
Appearing on the Impaulsive with Logan Paul podcast, he spilled: "There's many reasons why I dislike Zayn and there's many reasons why I'll always, always be on his side."
Payne - who was speaking after Malik allegedly "shoved" Yolanda Hadid, the 27-year-old supermodel's mother - cited that Malik's issue might be having a "different upbringing" that left him with emotional scars.
He told the 27-year-old YouTuber: "If I had had to go through what he went through - with his growth and whatever else. My parents are overly supportive to the point where it's annoying at times. Zayn had a different upbringing in that sense.
"You can always look at the man for where he is and say, 'Oh yeah, whatever, that guy's a d***'. But at the end of the day, once you're understanding what he's been through to get to that point and also whether or not he wanted to be there."
However, the 28-year-old star - who has a five-year-old son Bear with his ex Cheryl Cole, 38 - insisted he didn't "agree with any of his actions".
Payne said: "Listen, I don't agree with any of his actions. I can't commend some of the things that he's done. I can't be on his side for that."
Payne claimed he has reached out to Malik but was waiting for him to be "willing" to return his phone calls.
He said: "What I can say is I understand and your only hope is that at some point in their life, the person at the other end of the phone wants to receive the help that you're willing to give them."
Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson of One Direction back in 2011. Photo / Getty Images
When Malik quit the band in 2015, he claimed that he wanted to be a "normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight", after five years of touring with Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson.
At the time, Malik said: "I'm super sure us and Zayn will always remain the closest friends."
Relations between the group soured as Malik branded One Direction's music "generic as f***" and later shared that the four remaining members had uttered "snide" comments about him.
Malik said: "I ain't spoke to any of them for a long time, to be honest with you.
"That's just the way it is. There's things that happen and things that were said after I left. Snide things. Small things that I would never have expected."
Payne reflects on fatherhood
Payne has claimed having son Bear with ex-partner Cheryl Cole "ruined" their relationship "for all the right reasons".
The former One Direction star has opened up about the reason for his split from the Girls Aloud star in 2018, and admitted he struggled getting to grips with being a young dad.
Payne also revealed Cole haemorrhaged "quite badly" when she gave birth to their five-year-old boy in 2017.
Reflecting on his first few hours as a dad, he said: "So it was me and a baby in the room and I had to take care of it. It was fun."
While their romance wasn't meant to be, the 28-year-old singer has nothing but praise for 38-year-old Cole, and is grateful to her for allowing him to have "full autonomy" of his life while she tends to Bear's needs.
Appearing on the 'Impaulsive with Logan Paul' podcast, he said: "She is the best mum in the world. I couldn't ask for someone better.
"I get to take my son to school one or two times a week and it's the best thing. The relationship we have now as friends has only grown more.
"We broke up for a reason and now she gives me full autonomy of my life and to do what I do and I know he's [Bear's] taken care of."
The 'Strip That Down' singer also admitted that once he knew he was going to be a dad, he feared he "wouldn't love" his child "enough".
He said: "I like to talk to other new dads. You don't know what is coming and it's different.
"And to be honest with you, it ruined a relationship at that point but for all the right reasons. I was so excited for him to be born that I was actually worried if I wouldn't love him enough."
The 'History' hitmaker is devoted to his son's future and says he will always be financially stable as he owns a number of companies he could inherit one day.
Payne said: "He is all she cares about and I couldn't ask for more.
"My life now is his. My money is his. I have several companies he can run if he wants one day or he can sell … but right now he's only five so we have a long way to go."
However, the 'X Factor' alumni confessed he's not keen for Bear to follow in his parents' showbiz footsteps.
