Gigi Hadid shared rare insight into her close relationship with her mini-me daughter, Khai, who turned five years old on September 19. The supermodel took to Instagram to celebrate Khai's special day and revealed just how similar the duo really were, with a photo of Khai riding a horse while wearing a pair of black riding boots and blue jeans. "Riding in my old boots," she captioned the sweet snap, which concealed her daughter's face to maintain her privacy.
Gigi also wrote a touching tribute to Khai in a separate post and shared sweet pictures from her intimate birthday party. "Celebrating you is the Best Day Ever, every year. Happy 5th Birthday to the light of my life! You are truly everything," she wrote in the caption. "So lucky & proud to be your mama!!!!!!! (p.s. 5 HOW?!?)."
While many fans rushed to the comment section to exclaim over how quickly Khai was growing, one chimed in that they wished the five-year-old's dad, Zayn Malik, "would also be there". Gigi quickly set the record straight, replying, "She was with us both on her birthday." The former couple dated on-and-off again for six years until their final split in 2021, following an alleged altercation between Zayn and Gigi's mother, Yolanda Hadid.
Since then, Gigi has moved on with actor Bradley Cooper, whom she has been dating for almost two years, and has perfected the art of co-parenting with the One Direction star. "Zayn and I do our custody schedules months in advance," she revealed to Vogue. "That doesn't mean that it doesn't change here and there, but we help each other out and have each other's backs."
"What we are interested in is raising our daughter together, with so much respect for each other, and not just as co-parents, but what we've been through together," she continued. Zayn shared a sweet birthday tribute to his only daughter for her 4th birthday in 2024, declaring that Khai was "the most important person in my life" and that he was "beyond proud" of her.
© Instagram"Grateful for every second I get to spend next to you, as you become the incredible person I know you already are," he added. Gigi is raising Khai on her farm in rural Pennsylvania, a perfect place for the 30-year-old to instil her equestrian spirit in her child.
© Instagram"The priority for me is giving Khai my time when I'm with her, and then when I'm not with her, that's when I work," she told Vogue. "With riding, I do it when I'm with her, and then when I'm not with her, I'm usually not at the farm." The star was once a competitive showjumper, as was her sister, Bella, who had dreams of competing at the 2016 Olympics.
© Dominique Charriau, GettySadly, Bella had to give up these dreams when she was diagnosed with Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness that can cause severe symptoms like memory issues, joint pain and facial palsy. Gigi bought her Pennsylvania property around 2017 with her mother and sister, and decided to move there full-time to escape the constant attention she received in LA.
