Louis Tomlinson is opening up about his frustrations with years-long romance conspiracies surrounding his One Direction bandmate Harry Styles.

The singer has previously shut down rumors that fans have started regarding Tomlinson and Styles being more than just close friends. However, the theories have continued even during the boy band’s indefinite hiatus.

“What I realized a few years ago is that there is nothing I can say,” he said in a recent interview with Brazilian outlet G1. “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.”

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Tomlinson and Styles rose to fame after One Direction — also comprising Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Liam Payne — was formed by Simon Cowell on The X Factor in 2010. The boy band went on to reach massive global success before they went on hiatus in 2016. Since then, each member has pursued a solo music career.

“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t irritate me a little, but it’s the nature of the job,” Tomlinson added of the fan conspiracies. “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 shares a son, born in January 2016, with his ex, Briana Jungwirth.

He has praised the “Watermelon Sugar” singer’s solo career in recent years, calling him “like a brother.”

“I have a lot of pride for what he’s doing,” Tomlinson told The Telegraph in November 2022. “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.”

The following year, Styles took home the Grammy for album of the year for Harry’s House.