Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde have addressed online abuse and “toxic negativity” about their relationship in a new interview.

The 28-year-old former One Direction star has been dating actress and director Wilde, 38, since she cast him in her forthcoming psychological thriller film, Don’t Worry Darling.

While the couple have previously kept details of their relationship private, despite tabloid reports and paparazzi pictures, they have now both spoken to Rolling Stone magazine for a cover profile on Styles, titled: How Harry Styles Became the World’s Most Wanted Man.

The British singer and musician is currently performing in the US as part of a world tour which runs until March 2023, and recently saw his third album Harry’s House nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize in the UK.

After huge success with One Direction, he is now one of the biggest music stars in the world in his own right, with a huge fanbase – including a small section that has been known to post abuse about those who he has had relationships with.

Speaking to Rolling Stone about social media, Styles described Twitter as “a s***storm of people trying to be awful to people” and told the publication that even with the boundaries he has set between his public and private lives, sometimes “other people blur the lines for you”.

Addressing the pressure his fame places on relationships, he said: “Can you imagine going on a second date with someone and being like, ‘OK, there’s this corner of the thing, and they’re going to say this, and it’s going to be really crazy, and they’re going to be really mean, and it’s not real… but anyway, what do you want to eat?’

“It’s obviously a difficult feeling to feel like being close to me means you’re at the ransom of a corner of Twitter or something.

“I just wanted to sing. I didn’t want to get into it if I was going to hurt people like that.”

Wilde also spoke to the publication for the profile on Styles, saying the majority of his fans are “deeply loving people”.

However, she added: “What I don’t understand about the cruelty you’re referencing is that that kind of toxic negativity is the antithesis of Harry, and everything he puts out there.

“I don’t personally believe the hateful energy defines his fan base at all. The majority of them are true champions of kindness.”

Read more: Wilde praises Styles for allowing ‘a woman to hold the spotlight’

Styles, who in recent years has embraced gender fluidity in fashion, also addressed public speculation about his sexuality.

“Sometimes people say, ‘You’ve only publicly been with women,’ and I don’t think I’ve publicly been with anyone,” he said.

“If someone takes a picture of you with someone, it doesn’t mean you’re choosing to have a public relationship or something.”

Wilde lives in Los Angeles with her two children, Otis and Daisy, whose father is her former fiance Jason Sudeikis.

Earlier in August, Wilde accused Sudeikis of “threatening” her by having her served with legal papers on stage in Las Vegas, as she was promoting Don’t Worry Darling.

Following the incident at CinemaCon, representatives for the actor confirmed the documents were related to the jurisdiction of the couple’s children, but said he had no prior knowledge of how they would be delivered.

According to recent court papers, Wilde is intending “to relocate with the children to London following the close of school in 2023”.