Harry Styles hits back at 'queerbaiting' accusations in new Rolling Stone interview

Harry Styles has hit back at critics who accused him of 'queerbaiting'. Photo / AP

Harry Styles has hit back at critics who accused him of '"queerbaiting".

The popular musician has been accused many times of "queerbaiting" –a term for a marketing technique in which a person hints at but does not depict same-sex romance or other LGBTQA+ representation.

Page Six reported one fan took to Twitter to say, "Non labelling their sexuality is the new way for straight men like Harry Styles to get away with queerbait and avoid the straight white man privilege backlash."

However, many fans of the former One Direction band member claim he is simply being himself – similar to David Bowie and Mick Jagger.

Now the star has addressed the accusations himself.

Appearing in an interview with Rolling Stone, the Watermelon Sugar singer was asked about the allegations and said, "Sometimes people say, 'You've only publicly been with women,' and I don't think I've publicly been with anyone,"

"If someone takes a picture of you with someone, it doesn't mean you're choosing to have a public relationship or something."

It comes after the musician opened up about his sexuality in April during an interview with Better Homes and Gardens.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rolling Stone (@rollingstone)

While speaking with the magazine, Styles admitted he once felt "ashamed" of his sex life and said it "felt like the only thing that was mine."

Adding, "For a long time, it felt like the only thing that was mine was my sex life. I felt so ashamed about it, ashamed at the idea of people even knowing that I was having sex, let alone who with."

He also addressed claims about his sexual orientation and described it as a "bizarre and outdated" assumption that he had to announce how he defined his sexuality.

"I've been really open with it with my friends, but that's my personal experience; it's mine. The whole point of where we should be heading, which is toward accepting everybody and being more open, is that it doesn't matter."

The Fine Line singer is notorious for keeping his love life quiet however he has been publically dating Olivia Wilde since January 2021.

The couple met on the set of their upcoming film, Don't Worry Darling with Page Six reporting Wilde was in a relationship Ted Lasso star, Jason Sudeikis at the time they began hooking up.