Perrie Edwards, a member of the British girl group Little Mix, recently shared her candid thoughts about her past relationship with Zayn Malik, the former One Direction star.
In a heartfelt interview on the We Need to Talk podcast, Edwards revealed that her romance with Malik, which lasted from 2011 to 2015, was “a little bit toxic” and significantly impacted her perspective on relationships.
Edwards reflected on how her first love experience with Malik shaped her understanding of what a relationship should be. “At the time, I thought everything we experienced in our relationship was normal because it was my first relationship, first love,” she shared.
“I was like, ‘Oh, this is how it’s supposed to feel. It’s supposed to feel a little bit toxic in some ways. This is probably normal, right?'” This mindset led her to believe that toxic behaviours were an inherent part of any relationship.
The breakup with Malik was particularly grueling for Edwards, who admitted to feeling utterly devastated. “And then when I became single, I was almost thinking like, ‘I never ever want to go through that again. I didn’t even want to meet anybody,'” she confessed.
“I remember thinking, ‘I’m done with men forever.'” This sentiment highlights the profound impact of their split on her life and relationships.
However, Edwards’ life took a positive turn when she met her current fiancé, soccer player Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, in 2016. As she navigated this new relationship, she realized that her past experiences with Malik had instilled unhealthy expectations.
“I had so many issues in our relationship at the beginning that I probably didn’t notice at the time,” she noted. “But now reflecting back, I’m thinking, ‘Oh, that probably wasn’t good.’ And I’ve noticed it a lot.” Edwards appreciated Alex’s level-headedness, which contrasted with her past experiences.
Now, with a deeper understanding of herself and her relationships, Edwards acknowledges the valuable lessons she learned from her time with Malik.
“I think it definitely shaped me,” she said. “I think I learned a lot from the relationship.” Edwards and Alex have built a life together, welcoming their son Axel in 2021 and getting engaged in 2022.
