How a TikTok user's in-joke started the funniest Harry Styles rumour

Harry Styles on stage, with no microwave in sight. Photo / Getty Images

In case you missed it, the funniest story to slowly be growing traction this week is the (very much a joke) claim that Harry Styles stole a backstage crew microwave after a show in New York at the UBS Arena, and the fact people started taking it seriously.

Over the weekend, TikTok user Dianna Rainonee uploaded a video to her account, sharing text messages between herself (in the audience) and her dad (working as a cameraman) at the show.

Her dad sent "Harry Styles stole our crew microwave from UBS arena", to which Rainonee said in the video that she believed it, and couldn't be convinced otherwise.

"He said 'I will be leaving my mark on the UBS Arena, thank you and goodnight'. I guess the feather boas were not enough".

Now don't get me wrong, I want this to be true. The image of a huge star hightailing it out of one of his gigs with the filthy microwave from the shared kitchen — in a feather boa, no less — truly tickles me.

However, in case there was ever any doubt, Rainonee herself cleared up that the whole thing was a joke between her and her father, that went viral on TikTok and then became a news story.

harry styles reportedly seen having a flirtatious conversation with microwave he stole??? the pair first connected backstage at ubs arena in november... could this be the spark of a new rumoured romance ignited for former one direction heartthrob, 27??? pic.twitter.com/YC8TsCWeGo

— ★ harry’s stolen microwave (@onlyghostie) December 4, 2021

"[My Dad] hit me out of nowhere saying the crew microwave was missing and he had joked around saying Harry Styles stole it. I could not stop laughing, so I figured why not make a TikTok about it," she told The New York Post.

"So many people thought it was real. They were like, 'OMG, is your dad going to say anything to someone or are they going to get in touch with Harry's team?'"

My favourite part of all of this, however, is the reactions people have been posting about the whole saga.

A special mention to the person who went ahead and made a TikTok account as the microwave to then comment on the original video, because there's always one.

But it was truly over on Twitter where people outdid themselves and have been making me giggle for days.

harry styles disappearing from the internet after he stole a microwave pic.twitter.com/8OuVz27I4n

— d ?! loves su?! (@softIous) December 4, 2021

Perhaps this whole thing serves as a lighter reminder not to believe everything you see on social media.