Why Harry Styles Felt “So Ashamed” About His Sex Life

Harry Styles may be a bona fide sex symbol, but he wasn’t always comfortable with that part of himself.

In a new interview with Better Homes & Gardens, the 28-year-old got candid about how he has recently been working through issues related to intimacy.

“For a long time, it felt like the only thing that was mine was my sex life,” he shared in the profile published April 26. “I felt so ashamed about it, ashamed at the idea of people even knowing that I was having sex, let alone who with.”

The One Direction alum explained that as boy band member, he felt pressures to put forth the perfect heartthrob image, where it was acceptable to be flirtatious, but not overtly sexual.

“At the time, there were still the kiss-and-tell things. Working out who I could trust was stressful,” he recalled. “But I think I got to a place where I was like, why do I feel ashamed? I’m a 26-year-old man who’s single; it’s like, yes, I have sex.”