Louis Tomlinson: Why Did One Direction Star Draw So Much Negativity?
It is hard work being a Louis Tomlinson fan. Fans of One Direction star Louis are subjected to an almost never-ending stream of negativity. It is a rare day when Tomlinson is not the subject of a story or two that either directly or surreptitiously attacks him for something or other. Louis is altruistic, generous, and loving to his family and fans, and yet the good that Tomlinson does is rarely thought worthy of mention. Instead, some sections of the tabloid press seem to delight in damaging Tomlinson’s reputation. Things have reached the stage where Tomlinson’s fans have come to disbelieve almost anything written about the 24-year-old star.
The negativity surrounding Tomlinson is not a new thing but it does seem to have gathered pace since last spring. The latest anti-Louis onslaught seems to have begun after the Sun announced that Tomlinson was to become a father last July. Since then, numerous outlets have seen fit to report, often with sensational headlines on almost anything that can be construed in a negative way, whilst his good deeds go largely unreported.
Tomlinson is the patron of a number of charities and is extremely generous with both his cash and his time in support of those charities. Yet, finding a story praising Tomlinson can be a challenge. If you search diligently, you will find some positive stories about Tomlinson, but you will have to wade through a tide of negativity to unearth the odd golden nugget.
At present, much of the reporting regarding Louis focuses on the birth of Freddie Tomlinson in one way or another. The Daily Mail and many others have been reporting that Tomlinson may be about to embark on a custody battle over his level of access to his son.
The focus of the story claims that Briana Jungwirth and her family are trying to block Louis from seeing Freddie unless he pays more in child support. Claims are also made that Louis’ rumored girlfriend, Danielle Campbell, is also a stumbling block. TMZ claims that Briana insists that Louis does not introduce Danielle to Freddie for fear of damaging the “bonding process.” They have also claimed that Briana wants more from Louis in terms of child support.
#OneDirection @Louis_Tomlinson & Danielle Campbell to split over Briana Jungwirth? https://t.co/3flo0p6QYs pic.twitter.com/51U78VHt2K
— UnrealityTV (@unrealitytv) March 1, 2016
It has been widely reported including by Yahoo! News that Louis has already bought and furnished a house for Jungwirth and his son. Tomlinson has also agreed to pay $15,000 a month in child support, but it is rumored that Briana’s family want $60,000 a month. Most people would agree that Tomlinson is already being more than generous, but the narrative in some sections of the media seems to be an ongoing one.
When Tomlinson was first reported to be dating Campbell, we saw numerous reports that claimed Louis had ditched his pregnant girlfriend and run off with an actress. Whilst many of Tomlinson’s fans believe Louis relationship with Campbell is a PR stunt, you never see a story about the two that does not contain the information that “Louis recently became a father” with another woman. The implication is a clear one: Louis is painted as a deadbeat dad. The claims that Jungwirth wants more money furthers the negativity by claiming that Tomlinson is “holding out.”
So it definitely looks like @Louis_Tomlinson and @Real_Liam_Payne's exes have been getting shady AF… https://t.co/w62joVPjNR
— Capital (@CapitalOfficial) March 1, 2016
The negative reporting on Louis really began to gather pace after Dan Wootton’s article in the Sun at the end of October. Wootton portrayed Louis as manipulative and egotistical, and claimed that Tomlinson and Harry Styles could not bear to be in the same room. Blame for One Direction’s forthcoming hiatus was laid squarely at Tomlinson’s feet.
The negativity around Tomlinson is easy to find — it is more difficult to find out why it is thus. Louis fans have their theories, of course. Many of Tomlinson’s fans draw parallels between Louis and Steve Brookstein, who was the first ever X-Factor winner. In his book, Getting Over The X, Brookstein claims that Simon Cowell and the Sun wanted to run a fake story that he was getting married and that Cowell was behind a press campaign to ruin him after he refused to go along with the plans.
https://youtu.be/lut5wgDMuK8
Tomlinson’s fans believe a similar war is being waged against Louis and for similar reasons. It is easy to see why Louis fans might believe this claim. As was previously reported in Inquisitr, many of the negative stories about Louis originate in the Sun, the Daily Mail, or in magazines owned by Bauer Media. That article shows that Simon Cowell and One Direction’s management are closely connected with all of these sources. Why then do those outlets so often seem to want to damage Tomlinson?
Fans make the reasonable assumption that One Direction’s management either turn a blind eye to damaging stories about Tomlinson or that they actually collude in those stories. Yet it seems that Cowell is keen to sign Tomlinson up to attempt to save the seemingly terminal decline of X-Factor. Cowell is also supposedly behind Louis setting up his own record label as a subsidiary of Sony/Syco.
Why do a team as powerful as One Direction’s management fail to support Tomlinson and his bandmates with positive stories to counteract the negative? Many of Louis fans believe that Tomlinson and the rest of One Direction are likely to follow Harry Styles lead by seeking new representatives once their current contracts expire. If that were the case it would be understandable, though unprofessional, for their current team to be less than enthusiastic in their support for departing clients.
Yet, if Tomlinson does sign up for X-Factor, Cowell will still have some sway over his career and there will be a link through Louis record company. If Cowell sees Tomlinson as the root to saving his TV show, why does he fail to protect his prize asset?
It is, of course, virtually impossible to answer those questions with any degree of certainty. It may be that Tomlinson’s team are content to sit back and let people say and write what they please about Louis on the basis that all publicity is good publicity.
What do you think about the way Louis Tomlinson is portrayed? Let us know below.
[Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP]
