Harry Styles says he used to feel his sex life was ‘the only thing that was mine’
‘Working out who I could trust was stressful,’ singer said
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Harry Styles has opened up about the challenges of autonomy and privacy in a world focused on gossip.
The 28-year-old singer, who has reportedly been dating Olivia Wilde since early 2021, has revealed that he used to feel “ashamed” about his sex life.
In a new interview with Better Homes & Gardens, to promote his forthcoming album Harry’s House, the UK pop star reflected on the complications surrounding intimacy.
“For a long time, it felt like the only thing that was mine was my sex life,” Styles said. “I felt so ashamed about it, ashamed at the idea of people even knowing that I was having sex, let alone who with.”
While the singer has recently started working through issues of intimacy, dating, and love, he added: “At the time, there were still the kiss-and-tell things. Working out who I could trust was stressful.”
“But I think I got to a place where I was like, why do I feel ashamed? I’m a 26-year-old man who’s single; it’s like, ‘yes, I have sex’,” he continued.
During the time of his 2019 album Fine Line, Styles faced amounting scrutiny and speculations about his sexuality, based on the fact he was wearing dresses and waving Pride flags.
He found the media’s obsession with him to define himself as “outdated”.
“The whole point of where we should be heading, which is toward accepting everybody and being more open, is that it doesn’t matter,” he said. “And it’s about not having to label everything, not having to clarify what boxes you’re checking.”
Harry’s House is released 20 May.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments