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Harry Styles recently addressed accusations of “queerbaiting” during his monologue on “Saturday Night Live.” The pop sensation and former One Direction member responded to past criticisms, which surfaced after he was seen kissing comedian Ben Marshall, a gesture that sparked heated discussions.
Reflecting on the scrutiny over his fashion choices, Styles remarked, “Back then, people seemed to pay a lot of attention to the clothes I was wearing and some accused me of something called ‘queerbaiting’.” This term refers to the adoption of queer aesthetics without acknowledging an LGBTQ+ identity. Styles humorously added, “But did it ever occur to you: You don’t know everything about me, Dad!”
At 32, Styles described himself as “tremendously boring,” noting that his hobbies might only seem interesting due to his celebrity status. “It’s better than the alternative,” he quipped, as a notorious paparazzi photo of former Prince Andrew flashed on the screen, reminding viewers of Andrew’s recent release from jail following his connections to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Styles, 32, said he was “tremendously boring” and that “people pretend to find that [his hobbies] interesting” because he’s a celebrity.
“It’s better than the alternative,” the pop star joked, as the screen showed the infamous paparazzi snap of ex-Prince Andrew after he was released from jail last month for his connections to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Styles said he was “happy” to be back at work with his new album, “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.”
“What’s better than kissing all the time? Which I don’t actually do — I don’t kiss all the time,” he said, as comedian Chloe Fineman appeared behind the Watermelon Sugar” before leaving in disappointment.
“Sometimes, kissing can be great,” Styles added, “you know, if you’re really good at it, and you’re a good person,” as comedian Sarah Sherman appeared and then walked off.
“Or if you have a tight little bum,” the “Late Night Talking” crooner continued, as Marshall, 30, walked onstage.
After the comedian and Styles joked about Marshall’s “wagon back there,” they turned to each other and shared a kiss on the lips.
“Now that’s queerbaiting,” the three-time Grammy said with a wink.
In 2022, Styles slammed the “queerbaiting” claims after fans noticed that he only publicly dated women — including Oliva Wilde, Taylor Swift and now Zoë Kravitz.
“I don’t think I’ve publicly been with anyone,” he told Rolling Stone at the time. “If someone takes a picture of you with someone, it doesn’t mean you’re choosing to have a public relationship or something.”