Once upon a time, One Direction were the most famous band in the world.
Placing third on The X Factor in 2010, the boyband made up of Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, went on to sign with Simon Cowell’s label Syco and achieved unprecedented, global success.
Their smash hits, which included ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ and ‘Story Of My Life’, paved a path of gold, and they sold over 70 million records.
They had innumerable front page splashes, many high-profile relationships, and their millions of fans all over the globe became completely obsessed with their every move.
There were many rumours that swirled around the band, but one of the most prominent was ‘Larry Stylinson’, a conspiracy theory that took over social media.
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The fans that pushed this rumour often refer to themselves as ‘Larries’, and are dedicated to believing (and attempt to prove) that Harry and Louis have been in a secret relationship. Harry and Louis = Larry.
Louis has spoken out numerous times against these claims, but it does nothing to extinguish the flames.
The first time was in an interview with The Sun in 2017. He said: “When it first came around I was with Eleanor [Calder], and it actually felt a little bit disrespectful to Eleanor.
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“I’m so protective over things like that, about the people I love. So it created this atmosphere between the two of us where everyone was looking into everything we did.
“It took away the vibe you get off anyone. It made everything, I think on both fences, a little bit more unapproachable. I think it shows that it was never anything real, if I can use that word.”
The second rebuttal was much more recently.
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In an interview with G1 on 8 April, Louis said: “What I realised a few years ago is that there is nothing I can say. There is nothing I can do to stop those who believe in this conspiracy.
"They are so connected to what they believe that they will not see the truth for what it really is.”
He continued: "There's nothing I can do about it. Nothing I can say to stop people from inventing what they want to invent. So, so be it."
You’d think that would finally be enough to put an end to the rumours - especially as the band broke up back in 2015, Louis now has a son and Harry is embarking on a solo career - but of course, that’s not entirely the case.
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Fans have taken to social media to share their reactions to Louis’ latest remarks.
One wrote on X: “It’s insane how he has denied it every single year yet these people continue to say horrible things about his son and call him a liar, just like they’ve been doing after this one interview. MOVE ON!!!”
Another person questioned: "I’m crying he’s still being asked about this?? are people still trying to prove this theory?"
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A third added: “Louis talking abt larry stylinson was not on my 2024 bingo card i have to say.”
A fourth said: “Surely 'we’ve never been more than friends' would have solved it?”
I think it’s time we take Louis’ word for it.
Topics: Harry Styles, Music, Social Media, Louis Tomlinson, Sex and Relationships
Kya Buller