Harry Styles kisses Ben Marshall on SNL to silence queerbaiting amid Zoe Kravitz romance, but fans say 'won't believe it till he has an actual man he's with'

Harry Styles was back where he belongs this weekend: standing on the Saturday Night Live stage as both host and musical guest. The 32-year-old pop star pulled double duty for the second time in his career, using the moment to promote his brand-new album Kiss All the Time. Disco, occasionally, which dropped just last week. Dressed in his signature flamboyant style and looking completely at home in Studio 8H, the pop star kicked off the show with an opening monologue that had everyone talking. It was his first time hosting since 2019, and he clearly came prepared to clear the air about a few things that have been following him around.



During his monologue, Styles got real about the criticism that has shadowed him for years. He addressed the queerbaiting accusations head-on, referring to the period when his fashion choices, including wearing dresses on magazine covers, became a major talking point. "Back then, people seemed to pay a lot of attention to the clothes I was wearing, and some people accused me of something called queerbaiting," he said. Then came the punchline delivered directly to the camera: "Did it ever occur to you that maybe you don't know everything about me, Dad? I ran it past him, and he was fine with it".

He then launched into a bit about kissing, playfully rejecting advances from female cast members Chloe Fineman and Sarah Sherman. But when cast member Ben Marshall approached, the energy shifted completely. Styles joked about being attracted to "a tight little bum," and after some playful banter about what Marshall was working with, he pulled him in for an actual kiss on the lips. He turned to the camera and deadpanned, "Now that's queerbaiting," winking to make sure everyone got the joke.



But here's where things get complicated. Instead of the internet celebrating what Styles clearly intended as a mic drop moment, the reaction has been surprisingly negative. Fans are calling him out for what they see as a transparent publicity stunt timed perfectly with his album release. "So a straight guy had to kiss another man to get more attention, huh? When has anybody ever accused him of queer-baiting?" one person posted, capturing the scepticism that's flooding social media. Others are exhausted by the pattern, with comments like "Queerbaiting every time there's an album release. Imagine how tired we are" picking up traction. The criticism seems to be that the moment felt performative rather than genuine. "I won't believe it till he has an actual man he's with," another fan wrote, dismissing the SNL smooch as just another calculated move. Some are even joking that he saw fellow pop star Hudson Williams "coming for his top queer baiting spot and had to come up with something quick," suggesting the whole thing was more about competition than conviction.



What makes the timing of all this especially interesting is what's happening in Styles' actual romantic life. While he's kissing men on national television to make a point about his sexuality, his off-screen life is reportedly heading in a very different direction. Styles has been linked to actress Zoë Kravitz since August 2025, and sources say things are getting pretty serious between them.



The couple was spotted walking arm in arm in Rome last year and has been seen together multiple times since, including a recent romantic stroll in Brooklyn to celebrate his album release. In a recent interview with Female First UK, Styles opened up about wanting to settle down, saying he's had a "real and honest" conversation with himself about his life goals. "I want a family. I want these things," he admitted, explaining that watching his closest friends get married made him rethink what he actually wants. The couple reportedly spent the holidays with his mom in Cheshire, and her dad, Lenny Kravitz, apparently approves, calling them "a great match". It's a lot to hold at once: a very public statement about sexuality on SNL, a seemingly straight relationship getting serious behind the scenes, and fans feeling like they're being played.