Larry Is Real

Synonyms:	Larry
See also:	Larrie, Tinhats and the Fourth Wall, Rainbow Direction
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In One Direction fandom, shippers like to say, usually half-jokingly, that their slash ship "is real". However, an unknown percentage of fans who ship Harry/Louis aka "H/L" aka "Larry Stylinson" really believe it when they say that "Larry is real".

Many Larry shippers on Tumblr and Twitter have combed through massive amounts of publicly available information (everything from interviews to candid photos to song lyrics to tattoos to insider anons) to find evidence that Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson were, and continue to be, boyfriends in real life. As the theory goes, One Direction's management company (Modest! Management) has pressured them to remain closeted because gay bandmembers would bring down the monetary value of a boyband.

In the early years, before Louis dated Eleanor and explicitly denied Larry was real, fans thinking he and Harry were in a relationship did not contradict what little fandom knew about them. But as more counter-evidence appeared, the secret-boyfriends theory became increasingly elaborate and required the existence of an ongoing conspiracy of lies involving 1D's management, professional associates, the media, friends, and even family members, whose actions and public statements appeared to contradict the theory. Any woman that either one was seen dating was theorized to be beards and paid by management. The similarities between the relationship narrative constructed by these fans and the story promulgated by the Domlijah tinhats in Lotrips fandom in the early 2000s have led to these Larry shippers being called tinhats by other fans. Many of the fans in question object to the term. See #Tinhats below.

The fans who believe in the theory that Larry is Real are often called "Larries", although not all believers in this theory adopt the term for themselves or identify with the community (see Larrie for more detail). The term came into common use from around 2014 onwards, and prior to this, many Larries simply identified as Larry Stylinson shippers - which can be confusing when trying to distinguish other shippers from people who believe they are actually in a relationship.

Some Larries label the vocal skeptics of the theory and of their behaviour "anti-Larries" or "antis", or the less common "hets" or "het girls".

Other 1D ships have attracted tinhats (see Ziam is real), but Larry dominates the field.

Larry tinhatting outlasted the band itself, despite some observers predicting it would collapse after the band went on hiatus in early 2016. New Larry theories crop up and evolve to absorb and explain new developments that might contradict their theories, called stunts. #Babygate was a major post-band stunt according to larries. As of 2021, new larries are still joining the ranks of believers. anti-larries and others have commented anecdotally that larries seem to be the majority of fans left in 1D fandom, though some fanfics about other ships are still being posted on AO3.

Name

This Fanlore page is titled "Larry Is Real" as a matter of convenience to distinguish it from the general shipping page Larry Stylinson. However, the belief or theory that Harry and Louis are in a secret relationship in real life is most commonly referred to as simply "Larry" or "Larry Stylinson".

Why Larries Believe/What Larries Consider "Proof"

Larries cite a number of pieces of evidence they find compelling to explain why they believe that Harry and Louis are not straight and are in a romantic relationship. See below for details.

The non-larrie explanation for "why larries believe" is quite different. Many 1D fans who are not larries, along with fans in other fandoms, characterize the Larry Is Real theory as tinhatting or a conspiracy theory. Fans may point to the usual psychological reasons that people are drawn to conspiracy theories, or to the fact that many RPF fandoms, especially fandoms with a younger demographic, tend to develop tinhat beliefs that are fairly consistent and predictable across time. The more popular an RPF ship is, the more likely a certain percentage of fans will start believing that the couple are really together. And Larry is a massively popular ship in a massively popular fandom.

A 2021 podcast episode of I Met You On LJ discussed some reasons larries believe and mentioned that Harry and Louis reacted to the knowledge that fans were shipping them by providing a lot of fan service in the early years in a way that seemed authentic. They also discussed how Larry was a way to (not) deal with jealousy over a celebrity crush dating someone else and that people experiencing upheaval in their personal lives and young queer fans who were not out found comfort in Larry. See 027. Red Herrings with Sh*t Larries Say, ^{Archived version}.

Larrie arguments for why Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson aren't straight

My first real crush was Louis Tomlinson. It's mutual, we've discussed it. Although the subtitles on some Tumblr gifs are fictional, Harry Styles really did say this in 2011. Most people took it as a joke but many Larries interpreted this and similar statements from Harry, Louis and their families as either the truth or as attempts to hide the truth behind jokes.

Popular gif sometimes used in larrie masterposts as an example of Harry and Louis reaching for each other before seeming to remember they were in public. Like a lot of larrie gifs, this one was taken out of context. (2012)

Harry Styles, who is known to have dated women, has never officially confirmed what his sexual orientation is, a fact that larries and non-larries alike will acknowledge. Instead he has stated that he does not feel the need to explain his sexuality. When he was asked about it in a 2019 interview, he replied "Who cares." The most information about his sexuality he has stated publicly is in a 2013 print interview with GQ Magazine; when asked if he was bisexual, he said, "I'm pretty sure I'm not." (Larries consider denials said in print to be less reliable than video interviews because management could interfere. It's also entirely possible he just didn't know in 2013, but him realizing it later wouldn't support the theory that he was in a relationship with Louis at the time of the interview.) When asked in a 2014 video interview about their favorite traits in a girl, Liam Payne replied, "female," to which Harry responded, "Not that important." And at a 2018 concert, after he read a fan's sign that said, "I'm gay and I love you," he replied, "I mean we're all a little bit gay aren't we."

In 2014, Louis Tomlinson tweeted "I am in fact straight", but larries believe this tweet was a lie written by management and is not credible (see Bullshit 2.0). Although it is possible that he lied in the original tweet or changed his mind since 2014, he has not given any interviews like Harry has that would leave open the possibility of queerness. Instead, larries point to more indirect evidence, such as the black line-art triangle tattoo on Louis's ankle, drawing a connection between it and the pink triangle, a well-known LGBTQ+ symbol. Larries also compiled instances where Louis wore rainbow shirts, though anti-larries have commented that some of the shirts are not actually rainbows and that larries have argued that these patterns should count because Louis was being prevented (by management) from wearing "true" rainbows. The Vans skeleton double rainbow shirt Louis wore at the April 30, 2014 1D concert generated a lot of excitement in the fandom, and larries considered it evidence of him being gay, reasoning that someone who was genuinely annoyed by "gay rumors" wouldn't wear rainbows. (To be clear, "gay rumors" is what the entertainment media and larries call the Larry conspiracy theories. For example, see this 2012 Advocate article and this 2019 Washington Blade article.) Larries considered Louis's hoodie with Robert Mapplethorpe's picture of two American flags to be evidence as well (Mapplethorpe was famous for creating homoerotic art). 1D fans were very interested in 1D lyric changes during concerts and noted that Louis changed lyrics in songs from "I have loved you since we were 18" to "I have loved him since we were 18" and "'cause you've got that one thing" to "You've got that big dick".

Larrie arguments for why Larry is real

Larries believe that Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles have been in a relationship due to their close bond and statements made by both parties. The following sections are not comprehensive, but do enumerate some of the main pieces of evidence. First, some general notes on non-larrie views of larrie arguments.

In general non-larries (who include people who ship/shipped Larry Stylinson but do not tinhat the relationship) think larries are overinterpreting Harry and Louis' body language in video footage while simultaneously taking jokes and sarcasm literally. Anti-larries have pointed out that larries often take quotes, photos, and video clips out of context. Depending on which pairing they ship and when they entered the fandom, non-larries may not have even been exposed to all of the source material used as larrie evidence. They may not have an opinion on every piece of evidence or may have tried to avoid some of it due to disinterest in larrie theories. Anti-larries are unusual in trying to debunk larrie evidence point by point, but even they may not have bothered to write up a debunk for every point.

Various non-larries have commented that larries seem to be unfamiliar with how teenage boys behave. Commenting in 2018 on the Wellington bar video, tumblr anti-larrie lrambling said,

I think a big reason why these moments aren’t particularly meaningful to me is that I have a very different standard than Larries for what’s normal friendship behavior between guys. Especially guys who, until things got too crazy, got a LOT of positive feedback for being flirty with each other. They were close and they were comfortable expressing that in a physical and flirty way. It’s just not that weird.

Other fans have also commented on the fact that a lot of larrie evidence is from the early years of the band and doesn't have any bearing on the state of their relationship in later years. A common larrie assumption is that Harry and Louis have been and remain in an exclusive, committed relationship since 2010. Anti-larrie back-to-louis commented,

Things can change, opinions can change, feelings can change. Once you admit that that’s possible, whether or not Harry was joking when he nodded in response to a question about he and Louis dating (I personally believe he was joking; Zayn said he was dating Harry once, and I also think he was joking - what would be the difference between those two statements making one true and one false?) becomes so much less important in the scheme of things.

Verbal Evidence

Occurrence	Larrie Interpretation	Non-Larrie Interpretation
In early 2011 Harry told a Sugarscape interviewer that "My first real crush was Louis Tomlinson." The interviewer asked how Louis felt, and he replied, "Mutual. We discussed it." Larry Stylinson Moments video clip; Original Sugarscape clip.	Larries believe that this quote is the truth.	Non-Larries view this quote as a joke said dryly.
A fan approached Harry at a signing and asked, "Are you and Louis dating?" Harry appears to nod and smile, possibly saying "Yeah" (too quiet for the camera). Larry Stylinson Moments video clip; Original fan video dated March 17, 2012.	Larries interpret Harry's response as a nod and grin, which they think is confirmation that he was dating Louis.	Non-Larries think Harry was joking.
At a May 2014 concert someone asked the band to describe each other using flavors. Liam Payne then asked Louis "What flavor is Harry?" Louis replied, "salt and vinegar" and then explained his answer with, "I was trying to think of something inventive, but that was just the first flavour that came to my head." Larry Stylinson Moments video clip; Twitter Questions Croke Park 23 May video clip.	Larries speculated that there was no way Louis could answer so quickly unless he was telling the literal truth, which meant he knew what Harry tasted like, which meant they had to be in a relationship. Some pointed out that semen had this flavor.	It's likely that Louis simply blurted out the first potato chip flavor he could think of.
On the This is Us extra clips DVD Harry said, "Louis is a great person to just, like, sit and kind of like, just admire what he's like."	Larries interpret this statement romantically and/or sexually.	Non-Larries interpret this statement as one about a close or best friend, but not romantically or sexually.
During a September 2011 Sugarscape interview with Niall, the other boys from One Direction were in the background talking, and at one point some people could hear a quiet exchange between Harry and Louis. The interviewer asks Niall, "What's your favorite word for boobs?", Niall turns to the others for suggestions, then somebody says something unintelligible, then Niall laughs and says "This is a serious question." LarryIsReal clip; Original Sugarscape video.	Larries hear the words "Lou can I give you a blowjob" with the response "I'd love it if you'd just wait", and view Niall's response as gentle ribbing of his friends who are in a relationship.	Non-Larries do not hear specific words in the interaction between Harry and Louis because they are too indistinct, even in "enhanced" audio, but speculate that Harry and Louis were giving answers or making jokes about the question that Niall was given by the interviewer. They see Niall's laughter as a response to one of the terms for boobs that either Harry or Louis said. Another option is that larries did interpret the words correctly, but that the exchange was yet another example of teenage boy humor. See this tumblr discussion between anti-larries debating what they heard and what it means.
Harry and Louis also exchanged many tweets in 2011 that were read as flirty by Larries but may have been fan service: "Always in my heart @Harry_Styles. Yours sincerely, Louis" Louis tweeted "@Harry_Styles miss you baby cakes" to which Harry replied "@Louis_Tomlinson I miss you too sweetcheeks ;)." On June 23, 2011 they had this exchange - Harry: "@Louis_Tomlinson im sitting on the sofa opposite you....you look sexy." Louis: "@Harry_Styles hahaha I am being slowly seduced by your curls" Harry: "@Louis_Tomlinson i know..That was my plan."	Larries believe these tweets were genuine expressions of romantic feelings.	Non-Larries believe that they were jokes or fan service, perhaps designed to drive up interest and interaction with the band.
In a September 2012 interview Liam asks Harry "are you good with your hands?" Harry replies, "I used to be quite good at wood tech." Louis chimes in with "Really good." Larry Stylinson Moments video clip	Larries tend to interpret this as innuendo. To larries, this innuendo is an indicator of an actual sexual relationship.	Non-Larries either think it's not innuendo, or that the innuendo is a joke typical of young adults.
In April 2012? fans were filming a drunk Louis and Harry in a Wellington bar, and Louis shouted "BOYFRIEND!" Larry Stylinson Moments clip; June 2012 video copied from facebook.	Larries interpret this to mean that while Louis is drunk he let it slip that Harry is his boyfriend. (There also seems to be a long-running joke about the video being "filmed on a potato".)	Non-Larries note that the only remaining videos are not good quality, which makes it difficult to confirm Louis and Harry's identities or what exactly is happening on camera. Louis may also have been shouting "Boyfriend" for some other reason. However, the main objection to the larrie interpretation is that this video doesn't show anything out of the ordinary for Harry and Louis' on-camera behavior during that time period.

Verbal Proof (indirect)

Occurrence	Larrie Interpretation	Non-Larrie Interpretation
In a May 2017 radio interview, the interviewer asked Harry if the song "Sweet Creature" was about his relationship with Louis. Harry stuttered a bit before saying he didn't want to tell other people their song interpretations were wrong but that he would "lean towards no". Larry Stylinson Moments clip.	Larries viewed this as Harry not wanting to lie (because they thought the answer was yes) and struggling to come up with an answer that neither confirmed nor denied the question.	Non-Larries thought he was trying to say no diplomatically. "For a guy who's said over and over that his music is open to interpretation and explained he doesn't tell fans what to think about it, the fact that he said 'I'd lean toward no' is huge."
In a March 2012 Sugarscape interview with the whole band, the interviewer asked Harry and Louis, "Who is usually in front and who gets behind, when you're playing Mario?" Louis smiled during the question, then responded, "I think we kind of share that really," and elaborated further. During Louis and Harry's answer, the other bandmembers appeared to be amused. Sugarscape video	Larries interpreted their answer as innuendo about Harry and Louis' real sex life together.	Non-Larries think it was sexual innuendo, that young men of all sexual orientations like joking about sex, and that making sexual innuendo during a video interview should not be read as a true confession about their actual sex lives.
In 2011-2012 Harry and Louis shared an apartment. The rest of the band lived in the same complex but different buildings. In a 2012 interview with VEVO LIFT, Harry said, "Me and Louis had always said we wanted to move in together." Larry Stylinson Moments clip; Video clip on 1D's official youtube channel.	Larries interpreted this as boyfriends moving in together.	Non-Larries think that they were just close friends sharing an apartment because since Harry was under the age of majority, he was required to live with someone over 18 who was designated a co-signer on the lease. This was confirmed in 2012 by Anne Cox-Twist, Harry's mother.
Louis said on a July 2011 livestream, "Noticed that Harry's six pack was trending. Good lad, good lad, nice little body." Larry Stylinson Moments clip.	Larries interpreted this moment as Louis flirting/expressing admiration for Harry and that it was definitely not platonic.	Non-Larries think that this was fan service or Louis just being amused/impressed at the attention his friend was getting.
In 2010 Harry tweeted "Louis' first ever cooking experience ;)" with a link to a photo of Louis cooking. Every time Louis is asked about cooking or the most romantic thing he has ever done for a girl, he says that he is not a good cook but the first ever meal he cooked was chicken stuffed with mozzarella wrapped in parma ham with a side of homemade mash and gravy. The Larry Meal video compilation.	Larries believe this is evidence that Louis was in a romantic relationship with Harry. Later larries who didn't know about Hannah considered it significant that Louis didn't meet Eleanor Calder until mid-2011, so the first meal he cooked couldn't have been for her. Larries who did know were arguing that it couldn't have been for Hannah because they were in the X Factor house at the time and she tweeted in reply, "Oh man hope nobody ate it," indicating that she was not present for the meal.	The tumblr account stopmeanpostalert posted a debunk pointing out that the photo of Louis cooking doesn't look like the meal Louis described in interviews, so it's likely not the same event.
An Interviewer asked, "What's the last thing you do before you go on stage?" and Louis seems to look at Harry.	Larries interpret this to mean that Harry is the last thing Louis does.	A few options: Louis was just looking around the room and his eyes passed Harry, or Louis was looking at Harry to see if he had an answer ready.
In a March 2012 video interview Harry was asked, "when was the last time you kissed a girl?" and made a face. Liam added, "When was the last time you liked it?" Harry said, "Yesterday." The interviewer asked who, and Harry refused to say. Larry Stylinson Moments clip; Original video.	Larries interpret this to mean that Harry has not kissed a girl in a while (because he is dating Louis) and/or that he does not like kissing girls.	Non-Larries believe that this is Liam joking with Harry. Harry's face could indicate that it's been embarrassingly long or that he doesn't want to answer such a personal question.
In a July 2017 interview, Dan Wootton asked Louis for his view on the "Larry conspiracy". Louis replied, "I've never actually been asked about it directly.... People can believe what they want to believe, but I just think it comes across sometimes as a little bit disrespectful to the ones I love, you know, like Eleanor.... It's just one of those things that people just love to buy into. But in reality obviously there's no truth to it, obviously." Larry Stylinson Moments clip; Original video	Larries think that he is lying. They find it suspicious that it takes Louis nearly 35 seconds to say that there is no truth to it and that before that he compares Larry to an iphone conspiracy; larries have pointed out that said conspiracy turned out to be true, so "iphone conspiracy" has become a larrie in-joke. Larries also find Louis' claim that he's never been asked about it directly before suspicious, arguing that he has been asked about it before: [2]. Because he used the word "obviously" in his denial, this word has since been interpreted as a code when said by Louis.	Non-Larries believe Louis is telling the truth. It's a very clear denial for everyone except larries, and some people seemed to think (hope?) that it would convince larries to give up.
In a 2012 concert Harry sang the words, "Cause I can love you more than Stan." Stan is Louis' best friend. Larry Stylinson Moments video clip; Original fan concert video.	Larries interpret this to mean that Harry loves Louis more than his best friend.	Non-Larries think 1D changed lyrics during concerts for their own or the audience's amusement and that these lyric changes are not meant to be confessions of true love.
In a March 2012? radio interview with Johnjay and Rich, the interviewers asked about Larry, and Harry replied, "Yep, it's going strong. He's in the other room." They followed up with, "Dude, what's with all these tweets I'm getting? Is there some kind of jealous thing going on with you and Louis and his girlfriend Eleanor?" Harry replied, "Well, I don't really want to talk about that, to be honest." Larry Stylinson Moments clip; longer clip uploaded by LarryWalksAmongstUs.	Larries interpret this to mean that Harry is irritated with the Louis/Eleanor ship (because they think in reality Harry is the one who's dating Louis).	Immediately before the Larry question, Harry's deadpan delivery confused the American interviewers into thinking a twitter fan called "Brenda Styles" was his sister, so this is likely just more Harry humor.

Tattoos

Most of the bandmembers have acquired many tattoos since the band started and they came of age. Larries have theorized that some of Harry and Louis' tattoos are complementary and therefore are couples' tattoos. Non-larries don't believe these tattoos are complementary and think that some of the proposed matches are a stretch and that in some cases the matches are just coincidences due to being very common tattoo motifs. See #Tattoos for more details.

Other

Occurrence	Larrie Interpretation	Non-Larrie Interpretation
Rainbow Bondage Bear (RBB) and Sugar Baby Bear (SBB)	Larries interpreted the bears as both a symbol of support for LGBTQ+ fans and as a means for Louis and Harry to communicate with fans about their relationship through symbols.	Non-Larries think that the bears started as a fun mascot by someone behind the scenes who may have started poking fun at the fanbase toward the end but didn't realize how seriously larries took it.
Lairport (Harry and Louis took the same flight to Australia where 1D's concert tour was scheduled to begin)	Larries think they had sex on the plane and that is why Harry's shirt was more ripped when the plane landed than when it took off.	Non-Larries believe Harry and Louis being on the same flight to a location where they are expected to work together is not proof of a secret relationship.
The "butt plug" interview (2012 or before?) - Louis moved his hand from his own lap to behind Harry while Zayn was speaking. Harry made a surprised face.	Larries theorize that Harry has a butt plug in and Louis is messing with it when he reaches behind Harry. They think that is the reason Harry makes such a dramatic face.	Non-Larries believe that Harry is making a face either as a joke or because Louis is doing something inappropriate, but we can't see what. Many think larries pushing sex theories on Harry and Louis is creepy and invasive.

Terminology

Larries have developed their own vocabulary. See #Larry Fandom Language. Meanwhile, some of the terminology used by the rest of the fandom to describe the fans who believe that Larry Is Real has been contested.

Tinhats

Tinhat is the general fannish term for RPF fans who believe that the celebrities they like are a couple in real life, but are keeping their relationship secret for some reason, usually due to pressure from management. However, the majority of One Direction fandom had not been in other RPF fandoms before and so were unfamiliar with this terminology. Consequently there was no common term to differentiate shipping-as-a-fictional-ship and believe-they're-a-couple in the early years of the fandom; it was all called shipping, and many fans didn't see a distinction. Non-believing shippers may have been described as "casual" shippers instead. The phenomenon itself may not have been very noticeable until the fandom became truly ubiquitous; as more fans entered the fandom, more fans could potentially believe Larry was real, and Larry theories could multiply with more theorists participating.

In August 2012 Aja Romano used the term tinhat in a Daily Dot article titled "One Direction fans have trouble separating their 'Larry Stylinson' fantasy from reality." The article explained the common features of "tinhatting" and described the history of tinhatting as a fringe activity among DomLijah shippers in Lotrips fandom, before moving on to declare that a "generational shift" had occurred and that in 1D fandom, the majority of Larry shippers were tinhats. (Aja has a well known habit of getting key facts wrong in their articles, so this should be taken with a grain of salt.)

Some fans were already using the term tinhat to describe these Larry shippers, such as in the Slash Report episode that came out earlier in the month. A few Twitter mentions also predate the article. However, Aja's article may have introduced the term to 1D fandom at large. Many 1D fans reacted negatively to the article, and it was discussed all over social media.

The term tinhat became contentious, with many (though not all) larries arguing that it was insulting or offensive:

someone created a word specifically to target and bully people who believed some celebrities are lgbtq and closeted so don’t ever try to defend yourself saying “it’s not because it’s a gay relationship” because it is, and that word wouldn’t exist if everyone shipped straight couples.

handslows, 2016

In 2017 larries quit the fandom's big bang challenge and founded their own, in part because they were outraged by the mods' use of the word tinhat. As of 2022 the larrie-run big bang is the only one still active.

An argument that the term is ableist was in circulation by late 2014.

Once upon a time there was a LOTR forum on the internet. The year was 2003 and a certain Cesare asked for a term to use for the “hardcore tru believas who spread all the rumors” about the alleged Dominic Monaghan and Elijah Wood’s relationship. Cesare also added that “Most DomLijah fans are perfectly sane”, just in case you had doubts that the term wasn’t intended to describe “”“”“”“”“crazy”“”“”“”“ people. Cesare called them shippers "tinfoil hat crowd”, but it was too long, so a certain Versaphile made a portmanteau and the word “tinhat” was born. Now, I’m sure you all know what the tinfoil hat stereotype means: delusions, paranoia, beliefs in conspiracy theories, and so on and so forth.

nooradeservedbetter, 2015

I’ve had numerous conversations about the word and its meaning in and out of the fandom and don’t feel comfortable using it anymore - even to describe myself or larries because I see where it’s offensive. I’m not even referring to fandom - it just has negative connotations towards those who struggle with mental health issues which I hadn’t thought of at the time.

twopoppies, 2017

Larries' objection to the word tinhat may have been influenced by other words that frequently appear in the same sentence. That is, the word "tinhat" is often modified by "crazy" or "delusional":

the definition of tinhatting gets confusing sometimes, because you get people like me who use it in a pretty self-aware way, to talk about the ways in which we discuss canon/speculate about people. The difference is that we know what we’re doing, and that we don’t actually know anything about the private lives of our ship. If you see someone talking about how they are tinhatting, it’s generally meant in this way. The crazy tinhats are the ones who aren’t aware of what they’re doing, who do believe that they know FACTS and who don’t see how utterly invasive their behavior is. These are the ones who stalk all social media, who call around to people who have the same last names (there was a thing where some person who works at, I think, a different record label but has the last name Calder got bombarded by tinhat “detectives” trying to figure out if he was related to Eleanor.) That sort of behavior is really gross and wrong, and why a good number of us in this fandom really don’t like Larry shippers.

glitterbootsandyellowshorts, 2014

Some anti-larries objected to this characterization:

But when it comes to tinhat, the only people saying it’s ableist are Larries. Not even people who tinhat other ships, as far as I can tell.... The link to ableism I believe comes from the link to conspiracy theorists who wore tinfoil hats to prevent the government or aliens or whoever from reading their thoughts. The wikipedia article says, “The notion of wearing homemade headgear for such protection has become a popular stereotype and byword for paranoia, persecutory delusions, and belief in pseudo science and conspiracy theories.” Paranoia can be associated with mental illness, but mental illness clearly isn’t a requirement for believing in conspiracy theories, which I think is definitely the primary association of the phrase now.

lrambling, 2016

Just a reminder that the term ‘tinhat’ stems from 'tinfoil hat’, which has nothing to do with clinical paranoia or anxiety, thus making the term absolutely not ableist.

hellolarries, January 2015

But ultimately the argument seems to have had an effect. For example, the host of the podcast I Met You On LJ, a non-larrie, stated that "tinhat is an ablist term" in a 2021 episode.

After having been pondering this decision for a while, I’ve decided to change my blog address from hellolarrytinhats to hellolarries, as well as my blog title from ‘Hello, Larry Tinhats.’ to 'Hello, Larries.’. Although I don’t agree that my blog name (or the word 'tinhat’, for that matter) is necessarily ableist - and, most of all, I definitely wasn’t using it in a way that implied or referred to ableism -, I don’t want to be associated with people who perpetuate that idea or to be insulted based on something I do not stand for. Therefore, I have changed my blog name, and will refrain from using the word 'tinhat’ as much as possible - not because I think the word or the way I use it is ableist, but because I do not want to disrespect anyone who might think that way, and, again, I don’t think I should be insulted because of something I do not stand for, never have, and never will.

hellolarries, February 2015

In general, 1D fandom now usually refers to these fans as larries instead of "tinhats".

and one thing keeping ppl confused is that in 1d fandom the tinhats have adopted the word “larrie” as a label for themselves, meaning “someone who believes the relationship is real and is being hidden by management and every m/f relationship the boys have been in was fake.” so the word tinhat has also become weirdly rare in 1d fandom bc the tinhats have largely succeeded in substituting the more anodyne word “larrie” that doesn’t have the same connotations of outlandish conspiratorial thinking, even though it’s exactly the same thing.

valencing, 2016

Conspiracy Theories

Tinhatting is just a fannish term to describe a particular kind of conspiracy theory. The general view among non-larries and fans in other fandoms is that the Larry Is Real theory is a conspiracy theory, because it is a theory about multiple people conspiring to keep a secret: the secret that Harry and Louis are in a relationship.

However, many larries strenuously object to their opinions being described as a conspiracy theory. For example, see this 2016 tumblr exchange between a larrie and a non-larrie:

[tomlinharries]

i’ll believe what i believe and you believe what you believe and that’s all there is to it there’s no conspiracy or anything

people who don’t believe in larry believe what they want to believe to fit their narrative too that’s how it works its not a fucking conspiracy

[millionharry]

How is it not a conspiracy when you’ve literally got the “Big Bad” (management, modest, syco, Simon, you’ve got your pick) who’s created this huge lie in order to trick the general public. There’s a huge cover up and everyone’s being lied to. Like that’s a text book conspiracy theory.

Some larries believe that calling Larry Is Real a conspiracy theory is incorrect because they believe that their arguments for Larry being real are strong arguments, whereas anything labeled as a "conspiracy theory" is implausible. Some argue that even if Larry turns out to be factually incorrect and Harry and Louis have never been in a romantic relationship, there has been enough evidence supporting it that it still wouldn't have been an unreasonable conclusion to have come to.^{[citation needed]}

Some larries even believe that it's homophobic to describe Larry Is Real as a conspiracy theory. (Larries interpret other fans' rejection of the Larry theory as attempts to "protect" Harry and Louis from "gay rumors". Obviously, there's nothing wrong with being gay, so only homophobes would think that rumors about being gay would require protection.) One larrie was interviewed for a 2016 Vox article (written by Aja) and claimed that if the same amount of evidence was available for a heterosexual pair, no one would call it a conspiracy theory:

And she's quick to note the kicker that brings the entire conspiracy into sharp relief: "If these actions [by which she means Styles and Tomlinson's friendship, their physical intimacy, their tattoos, and many other so-called hints of their love] were happening between a boy and a girl, no one would ever question the legitimacy of their being in a relationship."

Some Larries thus oppose the assertion that any belief in Larry is a conspiracy theory, while admitting that a number of the more complex behind-the-scenes machinations proposed within the fandom do count as conspiracy theories.^{[citation needed]}

Visibility and Harassment

the infamous bullshit tweet

1D has been aware of the phenomenon since early on (as early as November 2010) and referenced it in interviews, appearing to find it amusing or at least not be bothered by it. Later comments from Louis Tomlinson indicate that he was no longer amused. On September 16, 2012, the verified Twitter account @Louis_Tomlinson tweeted

Still months on reading ridiculous conspiracy theories.It's upsetting that I have to read them daily.Thank god for the lovely people on here".

@skyleridk challenged this with "funny that no matter what happens they will never deny larry", and Tomlinson replied,

@skyleridk Hows this , Larry is the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard. I'm happy why can't you accept that."

Non-believers of "Larry is Real" have speculated that his anger was in response to his girlfriend getting harassed; meanwhile, Larries speculated that the tweet had been written by management.

There have been many instances where shippers have harassed One Direction members and their friends online. See Nick Grimshaw's Relationship with One Direction fandom for some of the details. Larries have also turned their ire on other fans and observers who questioned their claims. When, in her capacity as a journalist, slash fan Aja wrote an article in 2012 describing the tinhat phenomenon, she was attacked in the comments. The publicity rep for One Direction, Simon Jones, tweeted a denial in 2014 and was promptly attacked. Anti-larries have set up Tumblrs specifically to debunk claims by Larries, and are also faced with abuse. (Larries characterize the anti-larrie blogs as being set up to attack larries.) It is not totally uncommon for Ex-Larries to report that they were harassed by other Larries, both before and after they stopped being a Larrie.

The comments section of social media posts by 1D-related people are often flooded with Larry-related comments, including comments that consist solely of the word "Larry" or blue and green hearts and nothing else. Other comments explicitly reference aspects of larrie theories in ways that many fans would consider rude, even if they didn't care about the etiquette related to not breaking the fourth wall. After Louis confirmed his girlfriend Eleanor's twitter handle in a March 17, 2012 tweet, some fans started tweeting at her about "Larry" right away; some merely asked what her thoughts on Larry were, but other called her a beard:

• we were fine until your fake beard ass had to show up U NEED TO LEAVE FOR GOOD AND SOON BITCH, ^{Archived version}, 17 March 2012
• You can go away now. Harry confirmed Larry is real. Bye beard., ^{Archived version}, 18 March 2012
• fine. Emh happy bday.. Fuck off and die you.. #LARRYFOREVER, ^{Archived version}, 16 July 2012
• IM SO REALLY TIRED OF YOUR FUCKING BULLSHIT.YOURE JUST A BEARD. WE NEVER BELIEVE IN UR RELATIONSHIP WITH LOU.. LARRY IS REAL, ^{Archived version}, 11 August 2012

Some directly accuse them of lying when they mention information that contradicts Larry (such as Louis having a girlfriend or being a father). Examples of fans tweeting at Louis's mother that she's lying:

• stop lying jay you know your son loves harry remember all those tweets back in the day YOU put dont lose sight ❤️, ^{Archived version}, 6 August 2015
• I suggest actually taking to your children (that is if they'll answer your calls) and come up with a better lie, ^{Archived version}, 27 February 2016
• oh my god. This is so embarrasing. Please. Love yourself. And no more lies. This is ridiculous. Just stop., ^{Archived version}, 27 February 2016
• Can y'all just stop with the lies. No one is buying bg anymore., ^{Archived version}, 27 February 2016

Some real-world incidents have been attributed to larries. In 2012 fans, including one with the email address lstylinsonlover@live.co.uk, were bombarding Eleanor's university with emails, possibly trying to get her expelled or verify their conspiracy theories about her. Invasive behavior is also documented on the Babygate page. Various 1D members and friends and family have had their accounts hacked, in some cases allegedly by larries looking for evidence of Larry. Nonlarries have been aware of enough bad behavior caused by larries that fresh outrages are sometimes pinned on larries in the absense of evidence. For example, in 2017 fans assaulted Eleanor in an airport, and many fans assumed that larries were responsible, but the news reports didn't include enough information about motive to confirm.

To be fair, the 1D fanbase in general has a reputation for boundary violations (for example, the fan who climbed onto the balcony outside Liam Payne's Australian hotel room and stole his boxers in 2013). Meanwhile, lots of fans were tweeting gendered slurs and other abuse at Louis's girlfriend for years during the period she was active on Twitter, and it's not clear how much of it is from people who are angry because they think she's a beard and how much of it is from people who are angry because they think she's dating Louis. Both nonlarries and larries have spoken out against bad behavior.

When fans send rude, obnoxious, annoying, or harassing comments to 1D and their friends and family on social media, the whole fandom can see it. From the larrie point of view, harassment is just an unfortunate part of all fandoms, there are always immature people who go around harassing people, and unfortunately some are larries. From the anti-larrie point of view, a lot of the harassment received by 1D and friends is specifically motivated by larries' belief that Larry Is Real. Antis argue that big larries and others who theorize about Larry being real are providing the justification for others to continue the harassment:

Big larries: create and spread lies and rumors and theories about baby Freddie and Louis, talk about Louis and harrys families, call them extra, bully Briana and jay and fizzy

Young, impressionable Twitter larries: sees big larries tumblrs, harass Louis and harrys family, harass Briana directly, harass fizzy directly, send porn to Louis’ baby sisters and mother

Big larries: THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US! ITS NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY! WERE JUST BLOGGING!

you’re creating a situation and adding fuel to the fire every fucking time you make a new theory and a new rumor. You ARE responsible for this so stop fucking acting like victims.

Especially in a post-babygate 1D fandom, some antis on tumblr consider larrie harassment to be a very serious issue, going so far in one case as to try to get larries banned from the 1D fandom big bang.

Why larries send public comments about Larry to 1D has been a topic of discussion among anti-larries. Some antis have explained that at least some of the larries who do this don't believe they are actually harassing Louis's mother, for example; they think they are talking to an account controlled by 1D's management. The goal is to convince management that closeting is unnecessary and counterproductive. Larries believe they are "supporting" Harry and Louis, helping them fight the Big Gay War so that Harry and Louis can finally come out.

Rainbow Direction, a fan project introduced in 2014, has been heavily criticized by non-larries for being a larrie project, but if understood in the context of the larrie worldview, this project may have been started as a more civilized alternative to harassing "management" into letting Harry and Louis come out. From the tumblr account that organized Rainbow Direction, in 2013:

This blog was born from the belief that, as fans, through the use of social media, we can show that we are not homophobic but supportive. Not by outing celebrities against their will. Not by waging war on their management and pr companies, But by organizing ourselves, by consistently calling out homophobic statements by media, celebrities and fans, and by educating them on what a tolerant and supportive fanbase looks like. In this way we can slowly but surely tilt the balance in favor of tolerance and support. Amongst the fanbase, at first, in the media, and, ultimately, in the industry itself.

Some Larries are aware that their actions are offensive, but believe they are justified anyway. As one says, "Do I support fans sending messages to Briana or Louis family? Of course not. But like they say 'there is no smoke without fire'. We can’t all be wrong…"

Harassment of Larries

Facebook screencap of hate circulating among Larries in 2013

A potentially significant piece of context is often missing from anti-larrie analysis of larrie behavior. From the time that fans knew Louis was dating Eleanor in 2011, there was a long ship war between the Larries and Elounor shippers; perhaps not coincidentally, there appears to have been a large overlap between anti-larrie blogging and Elounor shipping in the early years of the fandom. Toxic comments may have been flying in both directions. Larries reported being on the receiving end of abuse from Elounor shippers. On the other hand, other parts of fandom (some would say, "the rest of fandom") believe the toxic comments mostly came from Larries.

Sorting out the truth after the fact is difficult when the tale grows in the telling. For example, grandiose claims like many larry shippers have killed themselves because of elounor shippers could easily have had their origin in 2013 tumblr posts circulating among Larries like this one showing a screencap of alleged Elounor shippers on Facebook saying Larries should kill themselves. This sense of persecution likely led to increased sensitivity, insularity, and nursing of injuries to the point where Larries might jump to conclusions if anyone so much as disagreed with the idea of Larry being real. Meanwhile, though the screencaps were instantly believable to Larries, other fans, remembering incidents of photoshopping evidence and making up stories whole cloth, were less likely to believe that the reported nastiness actually occurred. And not being believed would tend to feed into Larries' persecution complex.

Beliefs and perceptions aside, the level of hostility between the two groups is real. In response to the 2014 Larries' call for an album boycott based on the belief that Louis's tweets were written by a homophobic management, one anti-Larry responded:

YALL ARE SO EMBERASSING IM SORRY LARRY ISNT FUCKING REAL GET THE FUCK OVER IT LOOORDDD YALL KNOW ITS ALL ABOUT LARRY JUST STFU YALL ARE SO DUMB DOING THIS SHIT OVER BULLSHIT PLESSE I DIDENT SEE YALL MAKING A FIT WHEN HE SAID THE N WORD ON CAMERA YOU LIL FUCKERS FUCK YALL ANNOY ME SO MUCH

Other Fans' Views

Some fans try to ignore Larries; others call them delusional. Some have tried to convince them to change their minds. However, there do appear to be pockets of fandom that have been casually exposed to parts of the conspiracy theory without either realizing that it was a conspiracy theory or joining the theorists.

Twitter fans react to Liam Payne calling larries a cult.

Some anti-larries and ex-larries have described larries as a cult or cult-like.

I have been brainwashed for a long time and when you’re damaged like that, it’s hard to exist in a completely different part of the fandom other than the larrie side.... This is how badly i’ve been manipulated by the big larries. they are a cult.

In a 2015 interview with Attitude magazine, Liam Payne also compared larries to a cult. Fans on twitter reacted immediately.

Many Larries are not pleased by being labeled a cult. Other larries post jokes about being in a cult.

Some fans have commented that there is no inherent harm in believing:

Honestly, though, as long as you aren't contacting them about it or doing the 'girlfriends are evil beards!' thing, tinhatting of a relationship that may or may not have happened in the past is fairly harmless? I tend to take the halfway position of 'I don't think they did, necessarily, but I also wouldn't be surprised to find out I was wrong', personally. Because, yeah--they are a bit... well.

Anti-larries have expressed concerns about larries' harassment of 1D and argued that this behavior has had negative real-world consequences:

It's hurtful to ignore their wishes and continue to ‘attack’ them with your misbeliefs. If you don’t believe them, at least show them the courtesy and respect they deserve for choosing to live their lives however they see fit. If you want to tinhat, do so privately. Leave the boys, and anyone associated with them, out of it. They don’t like it, Louis especially and for good reason. By his own admission, his friendship with Harry, especially in public and maybe in private, has changed and not for the better. Maybe that’s all due to growing up and finding different interests, but I’m certain tinhatting played a part as well.

(Some larries have also expressed concern about harassment toward 1D and in the fandom generally, but don't see it as a larrie-specific problem.)

Other reasons many fans are annoyed with Larries are more fandom-centric. Larry shippers who simply enjoy the pairing have expressed annoyance because other parts of fandom assume that they, too, are tinhats. People have complained that Larrie theories require Harry and Louis to be very OOC in fanfic. Furthermore, it is widely believed among non-Larries that Harry and Louis stopped interacting publicly because of the conspiracy theories, thus depriving everyone else in the fandom of cute canon material for their ship. In a 2017 interview with The Sun, Louis Tomlinson somewhat confirmed this:

It kind of happened naturally for me and Harry because a certain amount of the fans drew up this conspiracy. When it first came around I was with Eleanor, and it actually felt a little bit disrespectful to Eleanor, who is my girlfriend now. I’m so protective over things like that, about the people I love. So it created this atmosphere between the two of us where everyone was looking into everything we did. It took away the vibe you get off anyone. It made everything, I think on both fences, a little bit more unapproachable. I think it shows that it was never anything real, if I can use that word.

Finally, some other fans, including former Larries, are annoyed because they claim Larries ruined their enjoyment of Larry as a ship:

I think I've developed a phobia of the larry ship, I've been feeling so angry and betrayed and guilty and ashamed and disgusted by the shittiness I used to be part of as a larrie, that coming across larry stuff (footage, manips, fic, etc) now just infuriates the fuck out of me. Like, I wish larry had never interacted ever, that larry should never have existed.

Maybe, Definitely, Probably

Although the Larries may look like a mass of crazy to many in the fandom, there is a range of opinion regarding the likelihood of Larry being real (and at what point they were together and whether they are still together). Plenty of fans take the idea of Larry being real seriously without harassing anybody. Furthermore, not all believers subscribe to all tinhat theories. For example, one theory that was considered fringe even among larries was the idea that Louis' girlfriend Eleanor was not only a paid beard, but actually twins or triplets who would trade off make public appearances with him. Commenting on the Eleanor twin idea, Tumblr user stylinsoncity said,

I think we Larry supporters need to all sit down and have a nice chat and come to an understanding once and for all that there is no Tina Calder. The fact that this is even still a theory stuns me. And truly, when you compile arguments and “proof” supporting the existence of Tina, you make the entire Larry Stylinson fandom look like idiots.

In 2014 Cosmopolitan asked fans about their opinion on Larry for an article on adult fans of 1D. One response represents a common view of Larry as plausible and desirable, but not 100% proven:

I totally ship Larry. After first hearing about their supposed love affair, I sort of went from 'Ha, yeah right,' to 'Well, that would be cute,' to 'OK, I don't think it's real but I see why you might think that,' to 'Man, I really wish that was real,' to 'OK, OK, I think that there's a decent chance that it's real but I'm still not sure but holy shit am I into it.' And it's not the biggest stretch to think that they'd be forced to be closeted — they're money-making machines, and having a gay couple in the mix would change everything. It's a risk the higher-ups surely wouldn't want to take. Believing in 'Larry' is still a conspiracy theory, [but] the fact that someone keeps them apart in light of the rumors — whether it's management or their own choice — is a fact. See, I'm always trying to convince myself.

Larries often talk about their convictions in almost religious terms (see the tumblr tag I believe in Larry), and some have said that the game of "proving" it is just a side show:

The thing about being a “Larrie” to me is that, when you know, you /know/. I have been a part of this since before UAN and I don’t need any further confirmation for it. The conspiracy theories are just as insecure (in my eyes) as the “anti-larries” who are always trying to disprove it.

Prevailing attitudes may also vary by platform. See this popular tumblr post from 2020 characterizing larries on twitter, tumblr, instagram, reddit, tik tok, and youtube: My experience of larries based on the platforms they use, ^{Archived version}.

Babygate

The news of Louis fathering a child in July 2015 prompted an outcry among larries that was covered extensively in mainstream media outlets. The events surrounding the announcement of Louis' fatherhood and subsequent larrie fan theories have been dubbed "Babygate". Many larries believe that the baby is fake or that Louis isn't the father. Larries have given reasons such as there being no paternity test, the child was announced in the first trimester, and Louis was almost never seen with his kid. Larries also thought it was weird that the mother constantly posted pictures of their kid.

See the Babygate page for more information.

Other Larrie Theories

See Larry Is Real/Theories.

See Harry is a Girl

Example Fanworks

See also: Larry Stylinson - Example Fanworks

Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples.

The Harry and Louis ship has been the most popular One Direction ship by a large margin and has inspired many fanworks. Some speculate that Larry fan theories may also have helped inspire the large number of alternate universe works in the fandom that deal with being in the closet, coming out and dealing with homophobia. Meanwhile, some readers have complained that Larrie theories require Harry and Louis to be very OOC in fanfic.

The following works contain depictions of Larry fan theories and/or notable moments, though the creators listed below do not necessarily believe that Larry is real.

Fanfiction

• Hiding Place by alivingfire (2015-2016)

"The canon compliant Harry and Louis love story from the very beginning, where the only difference is that the love between them is literally written on their skin, and there’s only so much they can hide."

• I Had The Life Of Ordinary, I Spat It Out by TableForThree (2013)

"Harry Styles falls asleep a sixteen year old boy nervous about his upcoming X-Factor audition that could make or break his career. He wakes up a twenty-six year old man with a husband and two children, and no recollection of the past ten years."

• Foolishly, Completely Falling by dea_liberty (2013)

"The one where Louis becomes a Larry shipper by accident."

• this crown of thorns by Eliane (2015)

"If there's one thing Harry is sure of, it's that he doesn't want to forget a single thing about Louis."

• Rock Those Blue Jeans, Baby by shakespearesque (2013)

"Louis has a hate/love relationship with the video diaries. He has a love/love relationship with Harry, though, and the video diaries don't help with that at all."

• Go Nowhere Tonight by objectlesson (2017)

"As always, the easy nonchalance with which he treats the rumors hurts, stabs Harry in the gut, twists the knife. Because it is hard for Harry; it’s hard to know people think they should be or are together because he wants that."

• burn to ash by bethaboo (2014-2015)

"the fic where Harry spirals out of control, the band breaks up, and then he shows back up, five years later."

• One More Time Again by rougeandtonic (2018-2019)

"On the morning of his second sold-out performance at Madison Square Garden, Harry wakes up to find that he's sixteen years old, on The X Factor, and that he has a chance to make things right. A canon-compliant fix-it fic (sort of)."

Fanart

• 

  Next to you forever
  fanart by evenasyoungastheyare (original, 2015)

• 

  “To me, fair friend, you never can be old, for as you were when first your eye I eyed, such seems your beauty still.” - William Shakespeare (sonnet 104)
  a 3-part series of drawings by twopoppies (originals, 2016); this one is based on a very early photo of Harry and Louis together

• 

  based on a later photo of Harry and Louis

• 

  based on a manip of Harry and Louis

• 

  They walk together like this
  fanart by twopoppies (original, 2016)

• 

  “Two souls are sometimes created together and in love before they’re born.” ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald
  pen and ink by twopoppies (original, 2018)

Fanvids

• Louis & Harry - I wanna touch you by STAS VELUM (2014)
• BORN THIS WAY! – Harry Styles by STAS VELUM (2018)
• harry + louis | it will rain by NANROCKBABY (2016)
• Harry and Louis - Secret love by Jessica S (2016)
• Harry & Louis || Another Love by GossipSmile (2013)
• Harry & Louis - Love will tear us apart by LostinParadise (2016)
• Harry & Louis || I wanna cry and I wanna love by HiitGirly (2015)
• Louis Tomlinson — "Flamboyant" by freddieismyqueen (2015)
• Harry Styles — He likes boys by freddieismyqueen (2015)
• Larry Stylinson - Home by Judy Garlarrie (2021)
• Harry + Louis || 18 by GossipSmile (2014)
• "YOU NEED TO SHIP LARRY" (STRESSED OUT) | LARRY PARODY by Queen Halo (2016)

Fannish Resources

Pro-Larrie

• Detailed Larry Timeline before 2012 by bulletprooflarry on Tumblr
• Larry Analysis by 1direction23flick on Tumblr
• larry is real Tumblr tag
• Larry Stylinson Analysis by hazzalovesboo on Tumblr
• 1D Ship Wars #3 - Larry vs. Elounor (offline, see archived link) by cujoy on LiveJournal (Aug. 14th, 2014)

Anti-Larrie

• “This Is Not Your Father’s Larry” Mega Masterpost (UPDATED) by toobadforthefacts (February 1, 2016) and updated again on Jan 14, 2018. You can read the 2018 version here, ^{Archived version}