Louis Tomlinson is publicly declaring his love for girlfriend Zara McDermott.
Six months after they first sparked romance rumors, the couple went Instagram official on Monday, August 4. McDermott, 28, took to her page to share a sweet selfie in which she planted a kiss on Tomlinson’s lips as he held the camera in his outstretched arm. She simply added a red heart emoji in the caption.
The One Direction alum, 33, commented on the post, “I love you x.”
McDermott and Tomlinson received an outpouring of support from loved ones and fans, including the musician’s sister Daisy Tomlinson and the Love Island star’s brother, Brad McDermott.
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“Love love 
,” Daisy, 21, wrote, while Brad added, “Beautiful couple .”
“This is the cutest post ever! ” one fan commented.
“Love seeing you glowing and happy,” another user wrote.
Louis and Zara first sparked dating rumors in March when they were spotted on a romantic getaway in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England, MetroUK reported. Weeks later, fans noticed that they both posted Instagram Stories from the same location at a Stereophonics concert in April.
Zara seemingly confirmed the romance with another photo on her Instagram Stories that month, as she shared a snap of her breakfast spread with Louis’ cross tattoo visible in the corner. Fans quickly identified the former boy band member.
Though he didn’t name Zara, Louis did confirm that he was dating someone in a July 14 post on X in which he called out the intense public scrutiny surrounding his personal life.
“The last few months have made it impossible to be on here,” he wrote. “All the conspiracy chat about my relationship, my son or even stretching sometimes to opinions on my Mum. It’s just too much and too hurtful for me to see!”
Louis added, “Thank you to everyone who always has my back!”
Louis shares son Freddie, 10, with ex Briana Jungwirth, whom he briefly dated in May 2015. He was also previously linked to Eleanor Calder from 2011 to 2015 and Danielle Campbell from 2015 to 2016.
Louis has also been the subject of rumors that he is romantically involved with former bandmate Harry Styles, which he and Styles, 31, have denied.
“What I realized a few years ago is that there is nothing I can say,” he told Brazilian outlet g1 in 2024. “There is nothing I can do to stop those who believe in this conspiracy. They are so connected to what they believe that they will not see the truth for what it really is. … Nothing I can say to stop people from inventing what they want to invent. So, so be it.”
Meanwhile, McDermott rose to fame on season 4 of Love Island in 2018, where she coupled up with Adam Collard. However, she was eliminated from the show after 10 days.
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Following her Love Island debut, McDermott shifted to a career in TV presenting and documentary filmmaking. Her work has focused on topics like rape culture, disordered eating and more. One project, The Idaho Murders: Trial by TikTok, examined social media’s impact on high-profile criminal cases, such as the 2022 University of Idaho murders.
Zara also appeared on The X Factor: Celebrity, Strictly Come Dancing and Made in Chelsea.
As for her personal life, McDermott was in a long-term relationship with Made in Chelsea’s Sam Thompson from 2019 to 2024.
