Liam Payne says he will always have compassion for Zayn Malik. Image Source: USA Today 

Liam Payne recently spoke up on Logan Paul's "ImPaulsive" podcast regarding his feelings toward former bandmate Zayn Malik. Logan Paul brought up an occasion in which Zayn Malik made news in 2020 while embroiled in an online battle with his brother Jake Paul, and Zayn's then-girlfriend Gigi Hadid stood up for him and tweeted for him, referring to him as a "respectful monarch" and Jake Paul as "irrelevant."

During the conversation, Liam Payne mentioned that Gigi Hadid had tweeted something about getting himself a respectable man or something and that the remark had aged poorly. Back in September 2021, it was claimed that Zayn Malik reportedly threw Yolanda Hadid into a dresser and called her a fucking Dutch slut, which was later confirmed that it did not happen the way it was depicted, but none of the people involved in the argument came out about it.

Zayn in a statement shared to ET at the time, stated that he did not hit Yolanda Hadid and plead not guilty to four charges of harassment. Although Zayn was given 90 days of probation on each count, for a total of 360 days, as well as an anger management class and a domestic violence program to complete. 

After ridiculing his former bandmate, Liam Payne went on to say that there might be a variety of reasons why he dislikes Zayn, but there are also a variety of reasons why he still has a lot of compassion and affection for him due to the reported difficult things he had to cope with as a child. Liam claimed that if he had to go through the same things that Zayn had as a kid but before completing the sentence he asked Logan Paul "Are your parents extremely supportive?"

Liam Payne went on to explain that his parents are overly supportive of him to the point that at times it gets annoying and they don’t mind him saying that, but Zayn Malik had a different upbringing in that sense, he added. Liam continued and said that one can always look at the man for where he is and say that yeah, whatever, that guy’s a dick, but at the end of the day, once people try to understand where he comes from and what he has been through to get to where he is today, and also whether or not he even wanted to be there, it’s not the same perception people would have of him anymore.

The singer continued that he is also misunderstood more than anyone and added that he does not know why he is there but admitted that he can’t sit there and be a dick to Zayn for whatever reasons. Liam Payne admitted that he may not agree with any of Zayn's actions and that he cannot commend or support some of the things he has done, but he understands and hopes that at some point in his life, he will ask for help that people are willing to give him.

Before going on to recount an incident with a band member he chose not to identify, Liam Payne revealed that he and his One Direction colleagues came dangerously close to fighting at one time. He added that there was a time backstage when there was a dispute and one of the guys, in particular, shoved him against the wall, and Liam told him that if he didn't remove those hands, he'd probably never use them again.

Liam Payne said that he although does not agree with a lot Zayn's actions, he will always be on his side. Image Source: Teen Vogue 

One of the fans tweeted that Liam Payne had no right to talk about Zayn the way he did because they don't even have a relationship anymore, so he couldn't know anything about what happened. The user added that how can he go on saying he has more streams than the other four in their solo careers when the most-streamed members of the band are Harry (obviously) and Zayn where as Liam isn't even second. The tweet continued that they get that all people care about is the negative aspects of it, and everyone is aware that One Direction had a lot of negative aspects, but talking shit about one of the biggest opportunities of your life after 10 years seems a bit pointless. A lot of fans came in support of Zayn and the band and mentioned that Liam Payne had no right to say all the things he said on Logan Paul's Show and added that they are highly disappointed.

During the interview, Liam Payne also revealed that when he auditioned at the X-Factor, to stand out, halfway through the song, Liam Payne winked at Cheryl Cole, added that people should not judge him, and shared that when he went back, his friends tried to question him about what the hell he was trying to do while winking at Cheryl Cole on TV. The singer said that everything happened naturally and then, years later, their son Bear was born. The couple went public with their relationship in 2016 and decided to call it quits in 2018 but added that it all worked out great and she's the best mum in the world.

Zayn Malik has not yet commented on the comments made by Liam Payne during the podcast, but he has recently released his limited edition merchandise collection, 'PAYNT by ZAYN',  that he designed from his own paintings and artwork. The proceedings from the purchase will be donated to End Gun Violence, the ACLU organization, and more. The singer painted the clothes himself and is using his platform and influence to make a difference.