Zayn Malik has marked his daughter Khai’s third birthday with a heartwarming Instagram message.
The former One Direction singer, 30, shared a collage of Polaroid photos from Khai’s birthday celebrations on social media, showing him holding his daughter as she took a closer look at her two birthday cakes: one blue Frozen-inspired creation and one rainbow-coloured bake covered in Skittles.
To protect Khai’s privacy, Malik obscured her face in the photos with a snowflake emoji.
“Happy birthday to my everything, you are the most amazing soul I’ve ever known,” he wrote alongside the photos. “Every day I get with you is a blessing that I cherish beyond words. 3 already!!
“Where has that time gone? my beautiful little girl, I couldn’t live without you, thank you for all the love you bring to my life.”
Khai’s mother Gigi Hadid also marked the special occasion on social media, sharing a series of snaps taken during a week of birthday celebrations, with a few nostalgic throwbacks mixed in.
“Have been celebrating our THREE YR OLD this week,” the model wrote. “Just so honored to get to be her mama, to get to see life through her !!!! Happy Birthday to my sweetest, smartest, spunkiest bestie !!!!!!!!”
Hadid posted a photo of Khai’s birthday meal laid out carefully on a tray, along with a snap of another Frozen cake, featuring a light blue bottom tier and an autumnal orange layer, complete with intricate models of the film’s heroines Elsa and Anna.
She also shared a sweet snap showing her and a much younger Khai cuddling in bed, and another from her first birthday celebrations.
Malik and Hadid, who dated on and off for six years, welcomed Khai in 2020 but called time on their relationship the following year.
In a rare interview with Call Her Daddy podcast host Alex Cooper earlier this year, Malik explained that he is now focused on “trying to be a good example” to his daughter, who has “brought that colour back” into his life.
“Since I’ve had my daughter the main thing in my life is trying to be a good example to her,” he admitted. “That’s why I’m even doing this interview.
“I used to get a lot of anxiety around doing a conversation like this but I want her to be able to look at me and say ‘My dad’s doing this.’”
“I keep being told I’m telling dad jokes and I’m leaning into it,” he added. “It’s okay, it’s cool. People just look at me like I’m a weirdo and I’m like ‘well, I’m a dad now so I’m allowed to tell these jokes.’
“I think we all get to a certain point in adult life where everything sort of seems vague and grey and boring and she’s brought that colour back to my life for me.”
