Zayn Malik has entered a 'no contest' plea to four counts of harassment following a dispute with Yolanda Hadid, the mother of his former partner Gigi Hadid. The 28-year-old singer appeared in a Pennsylvania court and pleaded guilty to all four charges, though he stated he 'agreed to not contest' rather than admit guilt.
Court documents allege that during the incident on 29 September, Malik swore at Yolanda, told her to stay away from his daughter Khai, and 'grabbed and shoved' her into a dresser, causing 'mental anguish and physical pain'. The singer denied hitting Yolanda, calling the assault claims 'false allegations'.
As part of his sentence, Malik has been placed on 360 days of probation, must complete an anger management class and a domestic violence programme, and is prohibited from contacting Yolanda or a security guard present during the altercation. A no contest plea means he will not fight the charges in court and is sentenced as if convicted, but the plea cannot be used as evidence in other legal proceedings.
In a statement on Twitter, Malik said he agreed to not contest the claims to protect the privacy of his daughter. Gigi Hadid's representative said she is 'solely focused on the best for Khai' and asked for privacy. Malik and Hadid began dating in 2015 and their daughter was born last year.
