Zayn Malik gave his 5-year-old £500 from the tooth fairy — but his emotional reasoning leaves zero cause for blame

The tooth fairy is an important concept for children, and it is up to parents to keep it alive using creativity. Just like Santa Claus, the 'tooth fairy' is a childhood myth fostered by parents. It involves the child keeping their recently fallen milk teeth under the pillow while they sleep, with the hopes of waking up to some revenue from the tooth fairy's visit. Singer and songwriter Zayn Malik hopped onto the practice when his 5-year-old daughter, Khai, lost her tooth, according to PEOPLE. He appeared in the “Call her Daddy” podcast with host Alexandra Cooper and revealed he gave a whopping £500 ($681.831) when she lost her tooth. In the clip shared on February 12, the former One Direction singer noted that he had made the conscious decision to give that amount for a precious reason. 

The singer recalled how he gave “a little too much” to his daughter when she lost her first tooth. When asked how much, he revealed that he had given a substantial £500. He added that it was her first tooth, and so he wanted it to feel special, intending to do the same for the second tooth as well. The first two teeth are important, the singer noted, so he decided to keep the amount the same for both. He even added that Khai’s mom, Gigi Hadid, gave him an earful for giving her that much cash, but he had good reason. “I work my ass off, and I should be able to give my kid what I want to give her,” he remarked. 

Cooper spoke to Malik and recalled him mentioning financial insecurity while growing up. “At the end of the day, I was lucky if I got anything for my teeth,” he said. As a dad who is better off now, being able to give his daughter everything is important to him. The feeling of, ‘I didn’t get to do this, so I want you to be able to do it,’ sums up Malik's mindset. However, Malik also revealed that he is beyond glad to provide the kind of life for his little girl, but also acknowledged that it might not be a reality for many. He explained that having a pop star dad and model mom gives Khai a reality of life that not many might understand or relate to. Nevertheless, it isn't about comparison; it’s just his way of expressing love for his daughter and for himself. 

After knowing the pain of struggling financially as a child, Malick hopes the world can be a better place for the children of today. He does his part by being a generous dad and well-wisher for charitable foundations, too, reported BBC News. In November 2022, he wrote a public letter to the then-Prime Minister of the UK, Rishi Sunak, in support of the Food Foundation campaign to provide free meals to children. He shared his letter in a post on Facebook and wrote, “4 million children live in households that experienced food poverty.” He added that around 800,000 children in England don’t get a free meal at school.

“I know what shame feels like, I have seen it first-hand,” he wrote, adding that he, too, once had to rely on free meals to get by. “No child should experience this hunger and stigma. My experience is not unique,” he further stated, before pleading with Sunak to make arrangements for children in need. According to the Children’s Defense Fund, around 11 million children are living in poverty in the United States. One in six children under the age of five was poor, and this ratio is the highest among other age groups. Though the number of kids suffering from extreme poverty has dropped from 11.6 to 11.1 million, there are still 47% of kids who are suffering. 

The statistics further revealed that 9 million children face hunger and food insecurity. Malik related to the plight of these children, and so after making it in the industry and in life, he wants to “overcompensate” by giving his daughter the best life. Having the resources might be a regular or common thing for many, but to the singer, it's a dream come true. @jennyram001 wrote, “He seems so smart and appreciative of his life.” @mitchellenikole added, “Going from food stamps to 7 figures is life-changing. It felt so good to give to them in a way that was never possible when we were poor.” 

You can follow Alexandra Cooper (@callherdaddy) on Instagram for more content on lifestyle. 

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