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He found the media’s obsession with him to define himself as “outdated”.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.
