Harry Styles Doesn’t Want To Discuss His Sexuality: ‘That’s Mine’
"I've been really open with it with my friends, but that's my personal experience," Styles said to Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
Harry Styles is on top of the world right now. He’s got the No. 1 single on the planet, the trailer for his upcoming film was just unveiled for the first time, and he’s on the cover of a magazine. He’s busy sharing quite a bit about who he is as a musician, a man, and an artist — but there are still some things one of the most famous artists on the planet doesn’t want to let go of.
“I’ve been really open with it with my friends, but that’s my personal experience. It’s mine.”
This was Styles’ answer when he was asked about his sexuality during an interview. The story was published in the most recent edition of Better Homes & Gardens (an odd title for Styles to cover), and while the pop/rock singer-songwriter touched on several topics in the far-reaching chat, it’s the sex talk that’s grabbing most people’s attention.
At one point, Styles even seemed to be a bit annoyed by the discussion, and he presented some interesting ideas about labels in general.
“The whole point of where we should be heading, which is toward accepting everybody and being more open, is that it doesn’t matter,” the Grammy winner said. “And it’s about not having to label everything, not having to clarify what boxes you’re checking.”
The “Watermelon Sugar” star also opened up about how he only became comfortable with his sexuality, whatever it might be, after leaving the boy band that made him famous.
“In lockdown, I started processing a lot of stuff that happened when I was in the band,” he began, explaining that when he was one of the five members of One Direction, he was encouraged to open up a lot in an effort to allow fans to connect with him…as long as it was all “clean.” There was reportedly a clause in their contract that wouldn’t allow them to discuss such things as sex, as the group was selling to a young, largely female audience.
“For a long time, it felt like the only thing that was mine was my sex life. I felt so ashamed about it, ashamed at the idea of people even knowing that I was having sex, let alone who with,” Styles admitted.
That must have been tough, as he’s been romantically linked to several famous women in the past, including Taylor Swift, and media scrutiny has been a part of his life for more than a decade now.
“I think I got to a place where I was like, why do I feel ashamed?,” the talented artist continued, before wrapping by saying, “I’m a 26-year-old man who’s single; it’s like, yes, I have sex.”
Throughout his time as a solo musician, Styles has suggested that he might not be straight, but he hasn’t provided any hard evidence to the contrary. He has never been seen with men in any romantic sense, and all the people he’s been known to date are women.
He is currently involved with Olivia Wilde, the director of the upcoming film Don’t Worry Darling, in which he plays a closeted gay man.
At the moment, Styles is promoting his new single “As It Was,” which is back at No. 1 on the Hot 100 songs chart in America. The tune serves as the first taste of his upcoming third album Harry’s House, slated for a May 20 release date.
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