He’s got your back, Harry Styles! Liam Payne defended his former One Direction bandmate’s controversial Vogue cover following the Candace Owens backlash.

Payne, 27, spoke about Styles’ historical December 2020 cover when appearing on Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp. “I mean what did you make of it when you saw him on the cover of Vogue?” the presenter asked the musician.

“Oh I thought it was great,” English singer replied. “I think he’s enjoying himself and he’s free to do as he wishes. And you know I just think that people don’t need to be so bothered about stuff.”

Payne continued, “There’s been a lot more stuff going on this year than whether or not he’s wearing the right clothes in someone else’s mind.”

After the “Watermelon Sugar” singer made history wearing a Gucci ball gown as the first-ever solo male to appear on the cover of Vogue, conservative author Owen criticized the feminization of men in western culture.

“There is no society that can survive without strong men,” she wrote on Twitter. “The East knows this. In the west, the steady feminization of our men at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence. It is an outright attack. Bring back manly men.”

Though many stars like Zach Braff and Olivia Wilde came to the cover stars defense, Styles didn’t seem all that bothered by it. On December 2, the 26-year-old posted a picture of himself eating a banana in a pale blue suit to Instagram, writing, “Bring back manly men.”

According to Payne, the pop star has really maintained his genuine sense of self amid his fame. “He’s never really lost himself, even in spite of everything,” Payne said on Capital Breakfast. “After the band we didn’t speak for a long time actually and then I remember seeing him, it was actually at a Jingle Bell Ball, backstage for the first time in a long time. He’s still the same guy he always was when we left each other in that dressing room as the band kind of stopped for a little bit.”

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This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Emily Rekstis