Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde Address ‘Toxic Negativity’ and Allegations of ‘Queerbaiting’

While Styles insists he has never “publicly been with anyone,” it’s no secret that he is currently dating director-actor Olivia Wilde. The pair met on the set of her latest directorial project, Don’t Worry Darling, and were linked romantically after being photographed holding hands in January 2021. Ever since, Wilde has faced backlash for their age gap, past comments, and more.

In his Rolling Stone interview, Styles called Twitter “a shitstorm of people trying to be awful to people” and says attacks on his partners “obviously doesn’t make me feel good.” He continued, “It’s obviously a difficult feeling to feel like being close to me means you’re at the ransom of a corner of Twitter or something. I just wanted to sing. I didn’t want to get into it if I was going to hurt people like that.”

Wilde, however, believes the “toxic negativity” being discussed only comes from a small minority of Styles’s vocal fandom. “What I don’t understand about the cruelty you’re referencing is that that kind of toxic negativity is the antithesis of Harry, and everything he puts out there,” she told Rolling Stone. “I don’t personally believe the hateful energy defines his fan base at all. The majority of them are true champions of kindness.”