After Liam Payne commented about Zayn Malik on the Impaulsive podcast, Payne was criticized by everyone. 

Payne mocked Gigi Hadid’s old tweet, where she had called Malik a "respectful king." The Victoria's Secret model had posted the tweet before Malik's alleged altercation with her mother, Yolanda Hadid.

Payne said the tweet “didn’t age very well.” He admitted he had a “dislike” for his former One Direction bandmate but clarified he would always be on his side. 

To make matters worse, the ‘Strip That Down’ singer also made comments about Malik’s parents and upbringing. 

This did not sit well with netizens, who launched a barrage of criticism in the comment section of the Impaulsive's YouTube episode. 

Liam Payne talking about Zayn Malik on Impaulsive podcast

Liam Payne talking about Zayn Malik on the Impaulsive podcast. (Source: Impaulsive/YouTube)

“This will never sit right with me to comment on someone’s parents… never okay. And to say he’s the most successful… while sitting on a LOGAN PAUL.” said one person. 

Liam Payne Apologized for His Comments on Zayn Malik

On June 2, 2022, Payne took to Twitter and apologized for what he said on Impaulsive about his bandmate. 

He explained he normally would not comment on such matters, but when it concerned his family, he could not keep silent. 

The singer noted there was a “specific incident involving Zayn which he responded to,” but listening back to it, he realized he had not articulated himself properly. 

“I will say that there will always be things we disagree on, but that I will always, always be on his side. That’s family. Zayn is my brother and I will stand by him forever,” Payne tweeted. 

Some netizens were still upset over his comments and continued to lambast him. 

“Liam, what you said was extremely disrespectful toward Zayn, his family, and his private life. You know he’s a private person, and you had no right to say that stuff about him. I thought you were better than that,” one user tweeted. 

While some were against Payne’s comments, his loyal fans came to his support.

They noted a lot of what he said on the podcast was taken out of context and not seen in the manner he was trying to convey. 

Zayn Malik’s Falling Out with One Direction Band Mates

Malik has not commented, but he has frequently made comments about his former bandmates, which suggests he is not on good terms with them. 

In January 2016, he said he never wanted to be in the band but only gave it a go because he was presented with the opportunity. 

But when he realized the direction the band was going, he recognized it wasn’t for him and didn’t want to be in the band. He explained that One Direction’s music was “generic” and didn’t fit his style. 

“Whenever I would suggest something, it was like it didn’t fit us. There was just a general conception the management already had of what they wanted for the band and I just wasn’t convinced with what we were selling,” he told Fader magazine. 

And then, in 2017, Malik told Billboard he didn’t talk to his former bandmates.