Zayn Malik has given fans one of his rare glimpses into life with his daughter Khai, this time from a sixth birthday weekend filled with rides, rainbow decorations and an elaborate Squishmallows cake.
The former One Direction singer shared a carousel on Sept. 22 showing Khai celebrating with friends at American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The outing included attractions at Nickelodeon Universe and The Gameroom Powered by Hasbro, according to People.
The decorations leaned heavily into color and Squishmallows. Photos showed rainbow streamers, a balloon arch, a “Happy birthday Khai” sign and a four-tier cake decorated with the plush characters. Some of the gifts were just as kid-specific, including a National Geographic bug habitat and a butterfly-growing kit.
Gigi Hadid had already marked Khai’s actual Sept. 19 birthday with a much simpler glimpse from home, a cupcake with a pink candle beside bacon covered in colorful sprinkles. She called it their traditional birthday breakfast and wrote, “My girl, my life!!!!”
Zayn Said the Girls Had ‘the BEST Time’
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Malik’s carousel captured the larger party side of the birthday weekend. Khai and her friends rode attractions, played games and gathered around the cake while Malik thanked the businesses and people involved in putting the celebration together.
“Khai’s 6th birthday this weekend!! Big thank you to everyone who made it extra special,” he wrote. Malik also singled out The London Baker for the cake, calling the creation “epic, as always,” as ARY News reported.
Hadid’s birthday post was considerably quieter. Her Instagram Story on Sept. 19 showed the breakfast plate rather than a large party, with a pink curly candle pushed into the sprinkle-covered cupcake beside two strips of bacon. “My girl, my life!!!!” Hadid wrote over the photo.
Both Parents Continue to Keep Khai Mostly Out of the Spotlight
Malik and Hadid have shared occasional pieces of Khai’s childhood while generally avoiding turning her into a public-facing celebrity child. Hadid addressed that balance directly in a Vogue interview. She said posting nothing about Khai would not feel completely genuine, but she also does not want anything she shares to take away from her daughter’s “privacy and her peace.”
The same interview offered a more detailed picture of how she and Malik manage co-parenting. Hadid said they work out custody schedules months in advance, adjust when necessary and “help each other out and have each other’s backs.”
She described that stage of their relationship as one built around “love, and a feeling of camaraderie,” while emphasizing that what matters to them is raising Khai together with mutual respect. Khai was born in September 2020. Malik and Hadid ended their on-and-off relationship the following year.