Zayn Malik pleaded ‘no contest’ to multiple counts of harassment against Gigi Hadid and her mother, Yolanda, following a September 29 dispute, according to court documents obtained on Friday.
Malik was charged with four counts of harassment, according to documents filed to the Bucks County, Pennsylvania, courts. The documents were obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. Those documents indicate a guilty plea on all four counts, but in a statement posted to Twitter, Malik wrote that he “agreed to not contest claims arising from an argument I had with a family member of my partner’s who entered our home while my partner was away several weeks ago.”
However, each of the harassment charges is a summary offense, which is a lesser crime than a misdemeanor. A ‘no contest’ plea, such as Malik’s, does not admit guilt but does accept the conviction. The former One Direction singer paid more than $350 in court fees and fines, according to the documents.
Meanwhile, in his Twitter statement, Malik stated, “This was and still should be a private matter but it seems for now there is divisiveness and despite my efforts to restore us to a peaceful family environment that will allow for me to co-parent my daughter in a manner in which she deserves, this has been leaked to the press.”
The case was triggered by an alleged dispute between Malik and Hadid’s mother, Yolanda, in late September at the singer’s Pennsylvania home. According to police reports obtained by Billboard, the singer received 360 days of probation (90 days for each count) and has been ordered to take an anger management class and complete a domestic violence program.
However, earlier, musician Zayn Malik stated, “I adamantly deny striking Yolanda Hadid and for the sake of my daughter I decline to give any further details and I hope that Yolanda will reconsider her false allegations and move towards healing these family issues in private.” Malik and Hadid have been an on-and-off couple since 2015 and welcomed their first child, Khai, together in September last year.
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