Former One Direction bandmates, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, revealed to the world news that fans had speculated about since the 2010s — their secret 7-year-long relationship. March 31, Styles appeared live with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. Upon receiving the question, “Can you address the rumors claiming you and Louis Tomlinson are in a furious feud?” Styles proved the allegations false. Styles did not remain barren of exciting news, however.
With Style’s iconic charm, he announced to the live audience that he and Tomlinson remained quite the opposite of enemies. They had lived secretly as boyfriends for the past seven years. To add to the excitement, Tomlinson himself appeared from backstage; the live audience cheered deafeningly for several minutes, rendering Fallon’s surprised remarks inaudible.
The excitement in the homes of viewers seemed just as palpable as the energy on set. Unprepared for the mass amount of joining viewers — an unprecedented total of 2,100,600 streams — The Tonight Show’s live broadcast experienced a minute-long crash. Truly, the whole world seemed ecstatic to hear the news of 2010’s favorite celebrity ship.
“When I heard the news, I actually thought I’d cry from shock and joy. One Direction played such a big role in my childhood, including the ‘Larry’ ship. I remember going down internet rabbit holes and watching corny edits, convinced they were secretly in love. Hearing that they’re secretly going out makes my inner child so happy,” junior Olivia Graham said.
In 2016, One Direction separated, indefinitely. Tired of rumors accusing them of secretly harbored love, Styles and Tomlinson cut communication for nearly a year. While their fans’ allegations did not prove entirely false, hate speech and invasive fans prevented the duo from coming out as a couple during their youth. Eleven months apart seemed to rekindle their love, however, and soon, Styles and Tomlinson reignited their secret romance.
“We’ve been seeing each other for several years now, actually. It was difficult at first to be in the public eye while keeping this all under wraps, but I’m honestly so glad we held on. Pretending to fake relationships with Taylor Swift, Camille Row, Danielle Campbell and all them was a right laugh — they were in on the whole shebang to help keep the press away of course,” Styles said.
The decision to publicly announce their relationship took substantial thought, according to the couple. Ultimately, Styles and Tomlinson wished to show support for the queer community during a time of political turmoil. As it turns out, the dream ship of countless childhoods serves their mission of representation and hope perfectly.
April Fools, you fool!
XOXO,
The Chant
