What’s better than Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson‘s friendship? After auditioning for The X Factor as solo artists, the singers became two-fifths of One Direction from 2010 to 2015. While Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik were also part of the band, fans couldn’t help their obsession with Harry and Louis’ close bond. Right away, the “Sign of the Times” crooner and the “Walls” singer became the best of friends!
However, at one point they drifted apart. Fans started to believe that Harry and Louis were secretly dating, despite the fact that the “Back to You” singer was in a relationship with Eleanor Calder at the time. In the end, both guys denied that anything romantic went on between them. Louis claimed that the “conspiracy” theories eventually made them grow apart.
“It kind of happened naturally for me and Harry because a certain amount of the fans drew up this conspiracy,” he told The Sun in 2017 when he was asked why they weren’t as close anymore. “When it first came around, I was with Eleanor, and it actually felt a little bit disrespectful to Eleanor, who is my girlfriend now. I’m so protective over things like that, about the people I love. 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.”
One Direction’s former hairstylist Lou Teasdale even opened up about the rumors surrounding Harry and Louis. During a December 2020 interview on the “Sex, Lies & DM Slides” podcast, she said “millions of girls” still ask about the boys’ relationship, noting that it was a “huge thing” among fans.
While they may not be joint at the hip, it seems the boys still have a pretty healthy friendship. In fact, Louis even hinted that some of the boys have seen each other’s solo shows.
“When I was in One Direction, that pre-show ritual made me feel like a rock star. It just gives you such a great f–king feeling on stage,” Louis said during an interview with U.K.’s The Times in November 2022. “I’d love to say I don’t get more nervous if I know Harry [Styles] or any of the other boys are in the crowd, but I do. You want to give your best.”
Scroll through our gallery to relive Louis and Harry’s sweetest friendship moments from over the years.
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