10 years on, Perrie Edwards opens up about her ‘toxic’ relationship with Zayn Malik

In a new interview on Paul C Brunson’s podcast We Need To Talk, Perrie Edwards got vulnerable about her past with Zayn Malik.

They met during 2011’s X Factor, with both One Direction and Little Mix finishing in the top three that year. It’s never been clear exactly when Zayn and Perrie started dating, but in the interview, Perrie confirmed it was while they were on the show.

“I remember sneaking out every night to see them,” she said.

Perrie admitted that Zayn was her first love, but their relationship was “toxic”. Less than a year after they went public, Zayn was accused of cheating with an Australian waitress at a London club. A few months later, Zayn got a tattoo of Perrie on his arm, showing his loyalty.

Not long after, at just 20 years old, they announced their engagement.

“We were engaged to be married, so clearly we had feelings for each other,” Perrie said. “But when I look back now I think, ‘Oh my God, I was so young!'”

Even after their engagement, cheating rumours continued to spread. Zayn finally addressed them in 2015 with this incredibly iconic tweet: “I’m 22 years old… I love a girl named Perrie Edwards. And there’s a lot of jealous f*cks in this world I’m sorry for what it looks like x”

I'm 22 years old… I love a girl named Perrie Edwards. And there's a lot of jealous fucks in this world I'm sorry for what it looks like x

— zayn (@zaynmalik) March 18, 2015

Despite this, shortly after his dramatic exit from One Direction, Zayn broke off his engagement with Perrie. She looks back at this period as a “really difficult time” for her and the rest of Little Mix. Perrie shared that it was her first heartbreak, and going through it under the public eye was embarrassing and confusing for her. The support from the girls was what helped her move on.

Most Read

Every single picture and video from Bonnie Blue’s school stunt with 20-year-old Penelope Peaches

Lily Phillips shares utterly disgusting ‘before and after’ video and now I’m traumatised

Creators who have worked on hideous stunts share the ‘trauma’ of working with Bonnie Blue

“There were times when, yes, I caved in live performances…but the girls just made a shield,” she said.

Throughout their relationship, Perrie said she felt like she couldn’t talk about her and Zayn. She told Paul C Burnson that people accused her of using Zayn’s name for fame – even though Little Mix were also very successful. She feels more open talking about it now as she’s come to terms with the experience as a step towards understanding her behaviour in relationships.

“At the time, I thought everything I experienced in our relationship was normal…I was like ‘This is how it’s supposed to feel. It’s supposed to be a little bit toxic’,” she said. The breakup pushed her into a year-long dating hiatus.

“I remember thinking, ‘I’m done with men forever’,” Perrie added.

Perrie has now been with her fiancé, footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, since 2017. They met on celebrity dating app Raya and have one son named Axel. She admitted that unhealthy behaviours she learned from her relationship with Zayn affected the early days of her and Alex’s relationship.

“I think it definitely shaped me,” she said.

For more like this, like The Tab on Facebook.

Featured image by Rebecca Abigail PR/ Zayn Malik on Instagram