This sort of allegation is unfortunately very damaging for any kind of celebrity or entertainer that makes a significant portion of his bank on straight female fans. Anyone in One Direction definitely qualifies. "Heartthrob" status is only attainable, for some bizarre reason, for a male celebrity that is at-least-in-public interested in women. What he does behind closed doors, if it involves men, has to remain secret for the sake of that image.
I've never understood WHY … do these girls honestly believe they EVER had a shot in hell with these handsome movie stars, musicians, models, whatever ... REGARDLESS of the guy's sexual orientation? Just because he technically fucks women doesn't mean he was ever going to fuck Plane Jane Doe from an Illinois suburb.
It is what it is, though. I don't think this is him, for the record, but it was clearly someone out to damage him a bit. And it'll probably work.
Simon Rex's career was ruined in part because he simply permitted a bunch of gay guys to watch him jerk off on CAMERA. That was enough. I know; I heard a bunch of my female friends talk about it in shocked tones about how he's "so gross now." Ricky Martin, too ... remember him?
First there's resistance in the female brain to the idea ("OMG that's not true at all, I don't believe it!") .... but the moment there's acceptance, interest is gone immediately.
