Zayn Malik has offered fans a colorful glimpse inside daughter Khai’s sixth birthday celebration, sharing a collection of photos from the family milestone on Instagram on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
The former One Direction member revealed that Khai celebrated with friends at American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The group spent the day visiting attractions including Nickelodeon Universe and Hasbro Arcade.
“Khai’s 6th birthday this weekend!! Big thank you to everyone who made it extra special,” Malik wrote in his Instagram caption. Summing up the young guests’ reaction, he added: “The girls had the BEST time!”
Inside Khai’s rainbow-colored celebration
Malik’s carousel captured several details from the festivities, including a photo of the singer lighting the candles on Khai’s birthday cake while the children gathered around.
The party space was filled with bright, rainbow-colored decorations, from streamers to a balloon arch. A Squishmallows-themed birthday sign helped establish the celebration’s playful theme, which continued with the centerpiece dessert.
Khai’s cake stood four tiers tall and featured colorful Squishmallows decorations. Malik thanked The London Baker for making the cake, describing the creation as “epic, as always.”
The Instagram post also included a look at some of Khai’s gifts. Among the presents were a National Geographic bug habitat and a kit for growing butterflies.
The images offered an uncommon window into Khai’s life. Malik and his former girlfriend, supermodel and entrepreneur Gigi Hadid, have generally kept their daughter away from the public eye, making the birthday carousel a relatively rare look at one of her celebrations.
Malik and Hadid’s approach to parenting Khai
Malik and Hadid welcomed Khai in September 2020. The couple later split in October 2021 after dating on and off for several years.
Earlier this year, Malik discussed his relationship with Hadid during an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast. While reflecting on their past as a couple, he said he would “always love” Hadid and emphasized his respect for her as Khai’s mother.
“I will always love G, because she is the reason my child is on this Earth, and I have the utmost respect for her,” Malik said.
Hadid has also addressed how the former couple manages co-parenting. In a 2023 interview, she said she tries to organize her work schedule around the periods when Khai is spending time with her father. Hadid added that it makes her happy for their daughter to have time with both parents.
With Malik’s latest post, followers received a carefully chosen glimpse of that family life: a weekend of arcade attractions, rainbow decorations, science-themed presents and a towering cake as Khai turned six.