About five weeks ago, Zayn Malik assaulted Yolanda Foster and tried to get physical with a security guard. He screamed abuse at Yolanda and at Gigi Hadid, who was on the phone from Paris. Gigi had to pull out of some Paris Fashion Week runways and return home to Pennsylvania to sort everything out. Both she and Yolanda pressed charges and Zayn pleaded “no contest” to four misdemeanor charges. The news only came out last week. We’re in the “what happens now” part of the situation, with Zayn and Gigi having broken up in September, and they’re trying to figure out how to coparent Khai, who is just over one year old.
According to Us Weekly, Gigi “met with her lawyers last week. She also met with new lawyers to start helping with custody issues. There will be conversations about custody.” The good news is that Gigi and Zayn weren’t married, so at least they don’t have to work THAT out. The bad news is that there will still be big custodial issues, especially if Zayn is prepared to hire a big legal team to fight Gigi. E! News had a lot more about how the Hadids feel about Zayn and what Gigi’s doing with her lawyers:
“It’s a tense situation,” a source close to the Hadid family told E! News. “Gigi and Zayn are broken up, but intend to co-parent Khai in a peaceful and healthy environment. They are working out custody details. They are in contact over Khai and making decisions for her.”
“Gigi and Zayn have both met with lawyers separately. They both want to make sure they can sort out the custody situation with Khai and both feel entitled to custody of her,” the source explained to E! News. “She needs space. They have been in communication and have been working on how they will continue to co-parent, but it’s very tense right now. They do both want what’s best for Khai and are trying to be civil.”
Meanwhile, Gigi’s family is “trying to stay out of her way,” the source close to the Hadid family said, “but also feels very protective and wants the best for her.”
If fans are hoping for a potential reconciliation between Gigi and Zayn, they shouldn’t count on it. According to the source connected to Gigi, she “is done with Zayn for good.” The situation not only marks a bitter end to Gigi and Zayn’s six-year on-and-off romance, but also an immense strain between him and Yolanda, who once told The Daily Mail that he was “like a son to me.”
“Yolanda is very distraught about what happened especially after everything she has done for Zayn and how welcoming she has been,” the source close to Gigi said. She, “Gigi and Bella have been staying together in NYC and have truly been supporting each other. They have a great family support system and are glad they have each other to lean on.”
“The whole family wants Gigi to be done with Zayn for good,” the source close to Gigi added. “They have seen this behavior before and think it’s unacceptable.”
The source close to the Hadid family echoed, “Everyone is sad that things got so ugly and took this turn. In every family there is drama and emotions run high, but they feel Zayn crossed a line and he needs to be accountable.”
“The whole family wants Gigi to be done with Zayn for good… They have seen this behavior before and think it’s unacceptable…” Yeah. That’s been my near-constant thought whenever I’m reading about what’s going down in this situation. This didn’t happen out of the blue, it wasn’t like one day, Zayn just went bonkers and violently shoved Yolanda into a dresser. There have been signs and incidents before now. I also think that’s why Gigi’s family stayed so physically close to her in the past two years – Bella spent a lot of time in Pennsylvania during the pandemic, and Yolanda was just a short distance away (and obviously checking in regularly). They were there as backup, in case Gigi needed them. I also think there was probably a reason why Yolanda showed up at Gigi’s house that day with a security guard in tow, don’t you?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
Yeah, I think the security guard was the right choice. He needs supervised visits until he completes counseling.
+1
No, I still think it is a case of enmeshment, where Yolanda is enmeshed in Gigi’s life & once Khai was born, that changed the relationship between Zayn & Yolanda bc Zayn did not want Yolanda enmeshed with Khai.
This does not excuse Zayn’s behavior towards Yolanda, he went too far.
It does explain the leaked language that the whole family wants Zayn gone for good, and the implication that he has been violent before without evidence to make it go down easier as Yolanda enmeshes Gigi and then Khai further.
I don’t think Zayn handled this well, I don’t think Zayn is perfect or innocent. He should have walked away instead of engaging. I have not seen any other substantiated reports of violence from Zayn to others. I just know the monster that is enmeshment and how it destroys families.
Quite frankly, it does not matter: Violence is wrong. If Zayn couldn’t deal with Gigi and Yolanda’s close relationship, he was free to break up with his girlfriend and arrange custody of their child in an appropriate manner.
Not sure about this take…
Enmeshment is a lot like codependency with a dollop of brainwashing thrown in. Not the same. I don’t mean to say enmeshment is good!! It’s not. At all. However…
Zayn and Gigi have been in an on-off relationship for about 5 to 6 years and they know each other well. I still maintain that Zayn is 100% responsible for his own behavior. Period, end of story. In my world you can’t focus on Yolanda and Gigi’s relationship (whatever it is or is not) and then say Zayn went too far. In the court papers, Zayn was screaming som NSFW language: that is also violence. He certainly was not trying to make anyone feel safe.
……… the hell does that even mean? ‘enmeshment’?
Familial relationships differ per family, but with the Hadid’s it’s always been very clear that Yolanda is close to her children and involved in their lives, and they clearly like it that way! If they did not want Yolanda that close, they could have had their primary residence in England or New York or even LA, they’re rich enough for it.
Also, as stated again and again: violence is always wrong. always. Honestly, calling the police and reporting such an incident isn’t a small thing either. These people know each other, have for years, it takes a serious incident and a pattern of behaviour before most people even consider calling the cops. Honestly, I find it very plausible that Zayn’s behaviour has been erratic/violent over the years but that him being violent to Yolanda and near a very small impressionable child would be the last straw. If Yolanda had been the only one to report it would be a little different(still very wrong), but Gigi reported the partner who she’s been supporting/hung up on (even when they were off) for years, thats not nothing.
Also why the hell are you putting this on the women? shifting all the blame to Yolanda and making her out to be the bitch/witch in this situation. Shame on you.
Just to touch on the first part – an “enmeshed family” is a real term used to describe a family where the members are all overly involved in each other’s lives (so Yolanda being close and involved with her children and her children liking that does not mean they are not “enmeshed,” it could actually be a sign that they are.) There are no boundaries usually in an enmeshed family and while the family may seem close, its actually pretty dysfunctional.
it’s not the same thing as a family being “close,” its something beyond that. It’s hard to describe unless you know one.
(that’s just a general statement, no comment at all about this particular scenario bc I don’t know what’s going on here.)
I’m not a medical professional or therapist. But to my knowledge, enmeshment is a term used to describe unhealthy and inappropriate relationships between parent and child. Where the parent consistently oversteps boundaries and uses the child as a stand in for their adult partner in some form.
Families that show enmeshment are deeply dysfunctional on the inside, but project an image of perfection. Those within a family like this are punished by the entire family for stepping out of line, but it is one parent who typically ‘controls’.
It’s basically saying Yolanda displays narcissistic tendencies and Zayn being punished by the entire family is an example of the enmeshed family.
Except – Gigi has made it clear she’s maintaining contact and civility. She is not being punished by the family for stepping out of line.
It also ignores the fact that Zayn was misogynistic and violent, to his child’s grandmother in front of his child. With security present.
If Yolanda incited the incident through verbal abuse or other manipulations I’d like to hear how. Violence isn’t necessarily a sign of the primary abuser, but uh, all signs still point to Zayn.
So, tldr – user is claiming this is all because Yo is a narcissist and Zayn is a victim of the Hadids toxic family dynamic. Is BS from my non-expert POV
This take is wild because it’s like you’ve completely crafted a story about the relationship between Gigi and Yolanda without having any evidence as to what that relationship is actually like. Your evidence is what, a heavily produced reality show that Yolanda was on like ten years ago? None of the briefing coming out of the Hadid and Malik camps even touches on the relationship between Yolanda and Gigi, except to say that Yolanda is protective of her and wants Gigi’s partners to treat her well. That quite literally describes any (good) mother. So while your “theory” – like any other theory – could always be true, it’s not very far removed from fan fiction.
I think its very dangerous to let our imagination run and create scenarios to fit a very subjective puzzle. Misleading people with our own ideas of something there’s no definite fact on is very shady and to be honest, troubling. Now Zayn has been abusive for years and Gigi needs her family as bouncers to keep him at bay? Suddenly everyone just KNOWS that Zayn has been beating her and her family for the longest time?
Here’s a definite fact: he accepted four charges of harassment towards Gigi and her mother both physical and emotional, and he has been sentenced to an anger management program.
Nobody knows what he’s been doing for years, but patterns in studies of abuse don’t favor the concept of an unprecedented one-time conflict and then everything being okay. And even if it was just one time, it’s violent and unacceptable.
So interesting. The facts are that he pushed Yolanda into a dresser and was verbally abusive. Those are the facts.
People find it easier to create excuses, theories, etc that they know nothing about, then to just accept what the known facts are.
I agree with Kaiser.
This is why this got leaked – custody of Khai.
I hope Gigi’s lawyers do everything they can to prevent him being deported (he’s not a citizen and since his label and management dropped him, I doubt his work visa will hold, plus he took a plea on serious charges) as that would mean that Khai would have to travel abroad every single year just to see her dad. That is, if he even gets joint custody. I doubt it.
Zayn is going to have to go to rehab, to get healthy, just to have a fighting chance of regular visitation. Maybe he will do it because there really isn’t another option of being in his daughter’s life. Counseling for anger sure, but that’s easy. Getting clean will be hard.
The only person I have sympathy for here is Gigi. She’s stuck in a terrible situation between these two. I hope she protects her peace. As a RHOBH watcher, I have a more nuanced view on Yolanda. That’s all I’ll say.
The portrayal of someone on a scripted heavily edited reality show from several years ago isn’t a nuanced take. She’s problematic, but yeah.
That’s such a harmful thing to say. I watched RHOBH and didn’t like Yolanda, but so what? The problem here is Zayn, a man who is abusive and violent with his partner and her family. Stop talking about Yolanda as if it’s the same thing. It’s so harmful and only minimizes what Zayn did. Even if that’s not your intention, it’s still the impact when you say things like this.
Exactly, Yasmine!!! You totally get it
When Gigi first announced she was pregnant, I remember feeling bad for thinking “seems like a not-great idea but ok!” I’m sorry that Khai won’t even remember a time her parents were happy together, or will grow up dealing with their toxic on-off relationship. It’s sad.
I can’t believe how so many of you are still bringing up that you don’t like Yolanda. IT’S IRRELEVANT. It’s about a man who was violent and did something wrong, in a patriarchal society where women are paid less than men, because we are dismissed, devalued, and blamed for being harassed.
Yeah, Yolanda is rude and not likeable, because I too watched RHOBH and saw that. But stop putting Yolanda and Zayn on the same level. One is a woman who is an asshole with an unhealthy view of food, the other is a violent and abusive man whose partner had to press charges against him to stay safe. Stop equating them as the same thing. All your’e doing is minimizing what Zayn did and adding to the narrative that it’s okay to not believe a woman when she says she’s abused, because you don’t like their personality.
I really hope you take a minute to think about how sexist and misogynistic this type of thinking is. If you’ve got sympathy for Gigi, then support this woman in leaving an abusive partner, instead of adding to the narrative of Yolanda being sketchy. This only allows Zayn to get off the hook and is a great disservice to women everywhere, including yourself (if you’re self identifying as a female).
Yup all of this.
And the ‘both sides’ nonsense just benefits the violent one using hatespeech.
Agreed 100%. I’m proud that Celebitchy and most of its commenters have sided with Amber Heard through her issues with JD, and she is not a perfect victim either, so we are familiar with these situations. You do NOT need to be the perfect victim in order for the other person to be condemned, nor do you ever “deserve” abuse of any kind. Even if you’re unlikable, or have made your own mistakes, etc.
Yep. And @Detritus: Thank you for calling a spade a spade. Somebody was expressing concern about that part of the abuse the other day too.
“You do NOT need to be the perfect victim in order for the other person to be condemned, nor do you ever “deserve” abuse of any kind.”
This. That also means you don’t have to be perfect or even close to it for it to be wrong for people to say things meant to mark your group for violence and discrimination.
I hope Zayn has someone in his life who calls out his bad behaviour. And I really hope he doesn’t weaponise custody of his daughter like many abusers do.
He needs to go to therapy and take accountability for his poor choices. His daily life will be the same and incredibly miserable until he decides to change.
I hope Gigi, Yolanda & Khai are surrounded by love & that they feel safe & supported.
Yes! My god the people on these threads blaming the mother. SMH.