Yes, it’s still 2024.

Louis Tomlinson is giving the phrase “better late than never” a whole new meaning by addressing once again — and this time at length — the popular conspiracy theory that links him and fellow One Direction member Harry Styles romantically…over eight years after the band’s split.

“I realized a few years ago that there is nothing I can say, there is nothing I can do to stop those who believe in this conspiracy,” Tomlinson told g1, adding that he feels that fans who support this theory, known as Larries, are so set on their own beliefs that they won’t accept the truth.

“I’m sure many people find all these little conspiracies interesting, [and] I’d be lying if I said it didn’t irritate me a little, but it’s the nature of the job,” Tomlinson added. This is what we have now. There’s nothing I can do about it. There’s nothing I can say to stop people from inventing what they want to invent. So be it.”

Mike Marsland

Despite being somewhat desensitized to the theories now, the “Bigger Than Me” singer did admit “there are times when it gets too personal,” mentioning the birth of his son Freddie as the prime example. “He is the most important person in my life. And occasionally, [these theories] do end up broaching some stuff that’s really unfair.”

In 2012, Tomlinson had addressed the Larry shipping theories succinctly, calling them “the biggest load of bullsh*t I’ve ever heard” in a response tweet to a fan. He also admitted the theories had naturally made him and Styles a bit more distant in a 2017 interview with The Sun since “everyone was looking into everything we did,” which made them “a little bit more unapproachable.”

In a 2015 interview with The Fader, former One Direction member Zayn Malik elaborated on how the theory affected both Tomlinson and Styles, saying: “It’s not funny, and it still continues to be quite hard for them. They won’t naturally go put their arm around each other because they’re conscious of this thing that’s going on, which is not even true.” The singer also proclaimed there were “no secret relationships going on with any of the band members.”

Elsewhere in his interview with g1, Tomlinson also admitted he was still thankful that people were still interested in One Direction after all these years and conceded that, though in his early solo career days, he struggled to showcase admiration for what his fellow 1D members were doing, he’s matured enough to move past that now.

“Being in a band and going out on your own will always mean that your only frame of reference is comparing yourself to the other members … and that becomes a little toxic,” Tomlinson said. “Unfortunately, that’s the nature of the music industry. It’s just naturally competitive. We are all competing for places. But now I see it in a very different way. And just to reiterate, while I felt competitive, or more competitive than I do today, it wasn’t like I wasn’t immensely proud of everything the boys were doing.”