The Hollywood rumor mill is buzzing with whispers of a blossoming romance between Selena Gomez and Zayn Malik after the pair were spotted getting cozy during dinner at a New York City restaurant on March 23. A vigilant TikToker initially noticed the two indulging in some PDA, and the restaurant's hostess later confirmed that they were "hand in hand, making out" during the intimate encounter. Insiders are now saying that Selena, 30, and Zayn, 30, are indeed an item.

A source shared with Star magazine, "They've really hit it off. Zayn is Selena's ultimate dream man, and she'd like to see where this goes." Selena, who stars in Only Murders in the Building, was previously linked to the Chainsmokers' Drew Taggart. The two went on a bowling date in January, but the budding romance soon fizzled, and Selena confirmed her single status. She even mentioned on social media that she was "still out here looking" for a crush.

Interestingly, Selena has had her eye on Zayn for a while now. In 2013, she admitted that Zayn was the One Direction member she most wanted to kiss. "She thought he was so cute," says the source. Zayn, who has a 2-year-old daughter named Khai with ex Gigi Hadid, reciprocated the interest by recently following Selena on Instagram, making her one of only 18 people he follows. "They started slipping into each other's DMs and learned they know a lot of the same people and have so much in common," adds the insider.

As for Zayn's ex, Gigi, who was in an on-and-off relationship with the "Pillow Talk" singer for six years, the source says she "has her own life and wishes them nothing but the best."

Zayn Malik's Cornrows Stir Debate Amid Selena Gomez Dating Speculations

As speculation about a possible romance between Zayn Malik and Selena Gomez continues to grow, the "Pillowtalk" singer has drawn attention for a different reason. On Thursday, Malik unveiled a new hairstyle on Instagram, featuring cornrows, which has since sparked controversy.

The photo shows Malik in the studio with music producer and engineer Daniel Zaidenstadt, with his fresh cornrows clearly visible. While his Instagram followers seemed to appreciate the look, Twitter users were not as accepting.

 
 
 
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A post shared by Zayn Malik (@zayn)

One Twitter user commented, "Now I KNOWWWW that ain't Zayn w some cornrows," accompanied by a series of sobbing emojis. Another user urged, "zayn take out those god damn [sic] cornrows." A third person chimed in, "im not even mad about the cultural appropriation, im mad that it doesn't even look good."

However, not everyone criticized the former One Direction member's new hairstyle. One Twitter user described the star as "buff, hot, and healthy," while another said, "zayn looks good with the cornrows sorry y'all but I gotta stick beside him and tell the truth." On Instagram, a user humorously remarked that Gomez had "won."

This is not the first time Malik has sported cornrows; he donned the same style when he was with his ex, Gigi Hadid. After their 2021 breakup, Malik experimented with various hairstyles, including dyeing his hair bright pink in 2022.