Louis Tomlinson addresses Harry Styles romance rumors: 'I'd be lying if I said it didn't irritate me a little'

"There's nothing I can do about it, nothing I can say to stop people from inventing what they want to invent."

Louis Tomlinson is shutting down persistent rumors that he and former One Direction bandmate Harry Styles have dated.

In a recent interview with Brazilian outlet g1, Tomlinson addressed the fan fervor. "What I realized a few years ago is that there is nothing I can say," he said. "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. I'm sure many people look and find all these little conspiracies that happen in life interesting."

Tomlinson and Styles rose to prominence as members of boy band One Direction, formed by Simon Cowell on The X Factor in 2010 and also comprised of Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Liam Payne. They went on hiatus in 2016 and each member has since pursued a solo career. Some fans have speculated about Tomlinson and Styles' close friendship.

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't irritate me a little, but it's the nature of the job," Tomlinson said of the rumors. "There are times when it gets very personal. I have my son, Freddie. He is the most important person in my life, and occasionally, [these theories] end up addressing things that are a bit unfair. This is what we have now. 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."

Tomlinson welcomed his son in January 2016 with former partner Briana Jungwirth.

He previously praised Styles in 2022, calling him a brother. "I have a lot of pride for what he’s doing,” Tomlinson told The Telegraph. "It’s not surprising to me that Harry's the most commercially successful because he really fits the mold of a modern star. He’s not just doing music, he’s got film as well, and the [stadium] tour he’s done is unbelievable."

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