Harry Styles Recalls How an ‘Outgoing’ Ex-Girlfriend Helped Him Realize He Was ‘Safe’ in Public: ‘Changed My Life’

Harry Styles Recalls How an ‘Outgoing’ Ex-Girlfriend Helped Him Realize He Was ‘Safe’ in Public: ‘Changed My Life’ https://ift.tt/d9AVm3c

“I think in the early days, when I was in the band [One Direction], so much of the hotel experience felt very locked-in,” said Styles

Harry Styles in September 2024 in London
Credit: Saira MacLeod/WWD via Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Harry Styles says early One Direction fame made him feel unsafe leaving hotels or his home
• In a Rolling Stone cover story interview, he revealed how an unnamed former girlfriend changed his perspective on public life
• Styles is engaged to Zoë Kravitz, and an insider told PEOPLE that the couple envisions an “intimate wedding”

Harry Styles has learned to enjoy life’s simple things, even as the world watches.

Following the release of his anticipated fourth album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. in March, the “Aperture” musician spoke to Thom Yorke for Rolling Stone’s eighth annual Musicians on Musicians issue, where he opened up about becoming more comfortable with being in public.

The singer, who first gained recognition at 16 when he auditioned for The X Factor UK in 2010, quickly rose to fame with the creation of One Direction.

After the band became one of the biggest boy bands of all time, Styles’ stardom grew even brighter with his record-breaking solo album Harry’s House, which won Album of the Year at the 2023 Grammys.

Harry Styles and Thom Yorke on the cover of ‘Rolling Stone’ in October 2026
Credit: Anthony Pham

In his conversation with the Radiohead rocker for Rolling Stone, Styles reflected on how an “outgoing” girlfriend shifted his perspective on being seen in public.

The topic came up as the two reflected on their first meeting. Yorke said he was so “impressed” that Styles was without security at the time and wondered whether it was by choice.

“I think in the early days, when I was in the band [One Direction], so much of the hotel experience felt very locked-in. When I’d be home, it felt like, ‘Oh, it’s not safe for me to be out,’ ” he recalled.

Harry Styles in June 2026 in London
Credit: Anthony Pham/Shutterstock

‘Then I had a girlfriend who was very outgoing, and she was coming to London and I was like, ‘Oh, if we just sit in my house for three days, she’s gonna think I’m nuts.’ ” he said. “So we walked everywhere, and it was this realization for me: ‘Oh, it’s fine to be outside.’ It kind of broke that thing.”

Styles concluded, “Now, it’s changed my life in such a big way, because it’s how you stay connected to the world.”

While the “As It Was” hitmaker didn’t reveal who gave him that new perspective, his dating history includes Taylor Swift, Kendall Jenner, Camille Rowe, and Olivia Wilde.

In April 2026, a source told PEOPLE that Styles and Zoë Kravitz were engaged after dating rumors first surfaced in August 2025.

Harry Styles and Zoë Kravitz in Rome in November 2025
Credit: COBRA TEAM/BACKGRID

An insider told PEOPLE in September that they want a small, intimate wedding but envision “big parties” for the celebrations.

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“Zoë and Harry want to have live music — that’s a big part of the wedding for them,” the insider said. “Other than that, they really care most about having their loved ones around and partying with those close to them.”