Summary
- One Direction quickly rose to fame and amassed fortunes thanks to their devoted fans.
- Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne have openly admitted to feeling scared and overwhelmed by the passion of One Direction fans.
- Despite their occasional trepidation, the members of One Direction have consistently expressed gratitude and love for their fans.
Once the members of One Direction came together, it didn't take too long for the boy band to take the music world by storm. Thanks to how successful the group became and how busy the members still are to this day, the boys from One Direction became very rich.
On top of amassing fortunes, One Direction accumulated millions of followers who still want to know what the former members are up to now. While it is clear that One Direction fans took the group to the top, things might have gone too far. The reason for that is it seems likely that the members of One Direction feared their fans at times.
Are The Members Of One Direction Afraid Of Their Own Fans?
Not long after the boy band One Direction was formed on The X Factor, the group became very successful. The biggest key to the boy band's success was one thing, they accumulated millions of fans that were devoted to everything they did.
While having devoted fans is what thrusts a boy band into the spotlight, there is no doubt it can be a double-edged sword. After all, Buzzfeed published "23 Of The Craziest And Scariest Things One Direction Fans Have Ever Done" and the entries are wild, to say the least.
Unfortunately for the members of One Direction, they definitely were affected by the negative side of how passionate their fans are. For the most part, the members of One Direction have been quiet about that front. However, there have been some times when the boys admitted how scary having absolutely devoted fans can be.
One of the tamest examples of that came in 2021 when Louis Tomlinson was being interviewed about his solo work. During that interview, Tomlinson commented on how One Direction fans can be "definitely draining".
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While that may seem like a very mild remark, it is pretty obvious that Tomlinson was hinting at how scary One Direction fans can be. The reason for that is Tomlinson went public in 2016 after he got a call from a so-called fan that would terrify any parent.
As The BBC reported, Tomlinson got a call from a female "fan" with an American accent who said, "I hope your baby dies". When Tomlinson informed the female "fan" that he recorded his phone calls, she quickly apologized and hung up. The recording of the phone call later leaked.
In 2019, Tomlinson's former bandmate was more direct about how overwhelming fans and the media affected his life. During an appearance on the podcast "Table Manners with Jessie Ware", Liam Payne spoke about being afraid of going out in public.
"I just lived so long as this reclusive pop star who was afraid of people, who just stayed inside all the time. I needed to stop, definitely. It would have killed me."
In June 2023, another former member of One Direction spoke out about how scary One Direction fans could be. While promoting his third album "The Show", Niall Horan was interviewed by The U.K.'s version of Cosmopolitan.
At one point in the resulting article, the publication summed up the early years of success Horan enjoyed with One Direction. Horan was then quoted talking about how much he enjoyed traveling the world performing with One Direction.
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“I loved touring, but it was f**king crazy.” Without mincing any words, Horan went on to describe how intense fans were when the boy band went on tour.
“We’d go to countries and never see a second of it - it was hotel, venue, plane, same again. We couldn’t get out the [hotel] door. If you went out in the car, you’d be seen and chased [by fans].
Unfortunately for Horan, the intensity of One Direction fans didn't just get to him when he was on tour. Instead, Horan explained to Cosmopolitan U.K. that he was afraid of his own fans when he went back home.
After describing how fans followed One Direction everywhere, Horan remarked, "I understand why it was going on, but it gave me a thing where, when I came back to London, I would be afraid to go out. There was a period where I actually couldn’t.”
Did The Members Of One Direction Love Their Fans?
Based on the things the members of One Direction have said about the boy band's fans, it seems like they didn't always love having passionate fans. That said, it doesn't mean that the members of the group didn't love their fans too.
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The truth of the matter is that every member of One Direction has routinely expressed their gratitude to their fans. One example of that is Harry Styles speaking to Cameron Crowe for a Rolling Stone article about respecting female fans like those who supported One Direction.
"How can you say young girls don't get it? They're our future. Our future doctors, lawyers, mothers, presidents, they kind of keep the world going. Teenage-girl fans — they don't lie. If they like you, they're there. They don't act “too cool.” They like you, and they tell you. Which is sick."
Just like Styles, Zayn Malik has expressed how much he appreciates One Direction fans in the past. One example of that is when Malik thanked his fans in 2023. While Malik didn't thank One Direction fans specifically, he referenced fans who've been with him since the start.
"I would like to say thank you to everyone that has supported me throughout this amazing journey, especially to my fans who I owe my life to. Love and adore you and see everything you do for me. ❤️"
At the end of the day, it seems clear that the members of One Direction have a bittersweet relationship with their fans. While they can be afraid of how intense One Direction fans are, they recognize everything they've given them.
