Overview

• On August 4, McDermott posted a selfie kissing Tomlinson on Instagram, marking the couple’s official ‘hard launch’ after months of subtle teasers.
• Tomlinson affirmed their relationship by commenting “I love you x,” while McDermott captioned the post with a red heart emoji.
• McDermott’s sisters Lottie and Daisy Tomlinson, along with fans, flooded the comments with supportive messages.
• The hard launch follows earlier ‘soft launches’ in March with covert date photos, in April via a breakfast tattoo tease, and in June at Glastonbury Festival.
• McDermott said she now values genuine connections over curated online aesthetics and has stepped back from frequent social media posting.