Zayn Malik has revealed that he was held and questioned at the airport for hours during his first trip to the United States.
The singer was travelling with his former band One Direction, and said he was treated with suspicion because of his name and ethnicity.
“The first time I came to America, I had three security checks before I got on the plane; first they said that I’d been randomly selected, and then they said it was something to do with my name, it was flagging something on their system,” he told the Evening Standard.
Detained: Zayn Malik reveals he was questioned for hours on his first trip to America
“Then when I landed, it was like a movie. They kept me there for three hours, questioning me about all kinds of crazy stuff. I was 17, my first time in America, jet-lagged off the plane, confused. The same thing happened the next time too.”
Zayn, who is the most prominent British Muslim in the entertainment world, also shared, “I take a great sense of pride – and responsibility – in knowing that I am the first of my kind, from my background.
“I’m not currently practising but I was raised in the Islamic faith, so it will always be with me, and I identify a lot with the culture. But I’m just me. I don’t want to be defined by my religion or my cultural background.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTQTtgDFhd0/?taken-by=zayn&hl=en
During the candid interview he additionally discussed his relationship with supermodel Gigi Hadid, and said that they have no plans to become a “power couple” like Beyonce and Jay Z.
“That’s not something I want to be a part of,” he admitted. “I’m with her because I like her and I hope she’s with me because she likes me.
“When we come home, we don’t really talk about that s**t. We just spend time together as a normal couple, cook food, watch TV, have a laugh.”
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