For the blessedly uninitiated: The “Larry” phenomenon is a relic from the One Direction days — specifically, a conspiracy theory that Louis was secretly in a relationship with Harry Styles.
As with many things on the internet, it was very hard to tell whether people were serious about shipping “Larry” (hey, that’s my name!) — but as conspiracy theories go, it was fairly persistent despite having no real basis.
So how does it feel to be the focus of such an enduring and ridiculous rumor? Louis opened up about the subject in a recent translated interview with Brazilian publication g1.
“What I realized a few years ago is that there is nothing I can say,” Louis said. “There is nothing I can do to stop those who believe in this conspiracy.”
“They are so connected to what they believe that they will not see the truth for what it really is,” he continued. “I’m sure many people look and find all these little conspiracies that happen in life interesting.”
“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t irritate me a little, but it’s the nature of the job.”
Louis also addressed how the “Larry” conspiracy theories bleed into his personal and family life.
“There are times when it gets very personal,” he said. “I have my son, Freddie. He is the most important person in my life.”
“And occasionally, [these theories] end up addressing things that are a little unfair.”
You can check out the entire interview here.