Entertainment · Celebrity · 20 hrs ago
Harry Styles says an outgoing girlfriend helped him feel safe going out
Harry Styles says he once felt it was unsafe to go out when he was at home during his early years in One Direction.
He described the band’s hotel life as restrictive and said he often stayed inside.
An unnamed girlfriend who was visiting London encouraged him to leave the house, so they walked around together.
Styles said the experience helped him realize that being outside was fine.
He said walking has since become an important way to stay connected to the world and notice things from an artist’s perspective.
He did not identify the girlfriend, and the accounts note that he dated Taylor Swift in 2012 without confirming she was the person he meant.
Styles is now performing a residency at Madison Square Garden in New York, where he has also been seen walking around the city.
Harry Styles said an outgoing former girlfriend helped him feel safer going out in public during his early years with One Direction.
He said hotel stays felt restrictive and that he believed it was not safe to be outside.
When his girlfriend visited London, they walked everywhere rather than staying at his home.
Styles said the experience changed his perspective and helped him stay connected to the world.
He shared the story in a Rolling Stone conversation with Radiohead musician Thom Yorke.
- Who
- Harry Styles and an unnamed former girlfriend.
- What
- Styles said walking around with his girlfriend helped ease his fear of going out in public.
- When
- During Styles’ early years with One Direction; the interview was published on October 9, 2026.
- Where
- London, where the girlfriend visited.
- Why
- Styles said he had felt it was not safe to go out, and did not want his girlfriend to think he was “nuts” if they stayed home.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
When I’d be home, it felt like, ‘Oh, it’s not safe for me to be out.’
So we walked everywhere, and it was this realization for me: ‘Oh, it’s fine to be outside.’
Now, it’s changed my life in such a big way, because it’s how you stay connected to the world.
I was also impressed that you were just walking down the street.
Styles said hotel stays felt locked in and he felt it was not safe to go out when he was home.
Styles said they walked everywhere, helping him realize it was fine to be outside.
Daily Mail and Us Weekly published accounts of Styles’ interview with Thom Yorke for Rolling Stone.
- Age
- 32
- Former girlfriend
- Unnamed; described by Styles as outgoing
- Location
- London
- Band
- One Direction
- Interview partner
- Thom Yorke
- Publication date
- October 9, 2026
Sources
Harry Styles Explains How an ‘Outgoing’ Ex Made Him Feel Comfortable In Public
Harry Styles credits 'outgoing' girlfriend for making him less afraid to go out in public as he tells Rolling Stone he was 'sitting in his hotel room for days because he didn't think it was safe to go out'
Harry Styles Recalls How 'Outgoing' Girlfriend Helped Him Deal With Anxiety
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