Liam Payne clarifies comments about Zayn Malik after Logan Paul podcast: ‘He is my brother’

Liam Payne has issued further comments about his relationship with Zayn Malik following his appearance on Logan Paul’s podcast.

The former One Direction star featured on a recent episode of the content creator’s show, where he discussed topics such as the boyband’s origins and his previous romance with Cheryl.

At one point during the chat, Paul brought up the subject of Payne’s former bandmate Malik, referring to a heated situation involving Malik and his brother, Jake, which took place in 2020.

As part of the discussion, Payne commented on Malik’s relationship with Gigi Hadid, and claimed: “There’s many many reasons why I dislike Zayn and there’s many reasons why I’ll always always be on his side.”

It’s thought that another comment by Payne was referring to the allegation that Malik had “struck” Hadid’s mother, Yolanda, during an altercation last year. Malik, who has a daughter with Hadid, vehemently denied the claim.

On Thursday (2 June), Payne addressed his comments on the podcast with posts on social media.

“Guys – I wouldn’t normally comment on this stuff but when it’s your family it’s hard to let it slide,” Payne’s tweet began.

“They mentioned a specific incident involving Zayn which I responded to – but listening back maybe I didn’t articulate myself as well as I could have.”

The “Strip That Down” vocalist continued his message in another tweet, clarifying that he still ultimately sides with Malik.

“I was saying that there will always be things we disagree on but that I will always, always be on his side,” he wrote.

“That’s family. Zayn is my brother and I will stand by him forever.”

Initially, some fans called out Payne for his remarks during the interview, accusing him of talking “crap” about his former bandmates while they mostly remain quiet about the details of their time in One Direction.

In response to Payne’s new tweets, many of his supporters have been sympathetic. One fan wrote: “We all make mistakes, but not everyone knows how to recognise them. I don’t agree with what he did, but I think people should treat people with kindness.”