Louis Tomlinson is a name every single millennial knows. Whether you want to admit to it or not, you've definitely listened to a One Direction song or two, and enjoyed it! Tomlinson joined One Direction during his time on the British show "The X Factor", where he was put into a 5 member group by none other than Simon Cowell.
After releasing hit after hit with One Direction the band officially broke up in 2015, and despite claiming they were simply going on a "hiatus" for 18 months, it appears that break has been extended to 5 years! Although we miss the boys, they have all ventured into solo careers, including Louis Tomlinson.
The singer just released his debut solo album "Walls" early this year, and was set to head on a world tour that has since been cancelled due to the pandemic. Despite all he has faced, Louis Tomlinson has had quite the last decade, and here is a deeper look into the stars' personal life.
10 He Took His Stepfather's Last Name
Louis Tomlinson has had quite the whirlwind of a life! While Louis has amassed millions upon millions of fans worldwide, one bit of information that many of us don't know about the singer is that he changed his name at a young age. After his biological father, Troy Austin, left his family, his mother remarried to Mark Tomlinson. Since Mark was far more a father figure for Louis than his birth father, he legally switched his last name to Tomlinson.
9 Louis Comes From A Large Family
Louis Tomlinson's career began being a member of One Direction, with 5 other lads, however, he has been used to being in large groups since he was a kid. The singer comes from quite a big family, one that he cherishes quite a lot. Louis has four sisters, Charlotte, Felicity and twins Daisy and Phoebe, and of course, himself. The gang all grew up together, despite Louis' mom having remarried twice throughout their childhood. The family continued to grow and would expand even more for Louis come 2016.
8 He Was Discovered On "X Factor"
During the 2010 season of "The X Factor", Louis Tomlinson headed over to the London audition phase in order to make it through as a solo act. Despite having the talent to get by in the competition, it appears Simon Cowell had a better plan in mind. After not making it past the second round, Louis Tomlinson was officially cut from the show, however, things took a turn for the best that would change his life forever.
7 Where He Was Later Made A Member Of "One Direction"
One Direction has since become one of the best selling boy bands of all time! After every individual member, including Louis Tomlinson, did not make it through, judge and executive producer Simon Cowell decided to go ahead and form a boy band that would be called One Direction. Louis was then joined by groupmates Niall Horen, Liam Payne, Zayne Malik and Harry Styles. They dominated the competition and came in third place. While they didn't win, they would soon discover that it was perhaps for the best.
6 He Was Gutted When They Officially Went On Hiatus
After 5 years together, One Direction would deliver some rather bad news to their fans. Come March 25, 2015, group member Zayn Malik announced that he would be stepping away from the group for good. While One Direction attempted to keep the group going after Malik's departure, it just was not the same. After a few months, the band decided to take a "hiatus" that would last up to 18 months, however, it has since been 5 years and fans are still waiting for the hiatus to be over.
5 Louis Began Dating Shortly After
After the group separated for a while, most of the band members were able to focus on themselves, which gave Louis Tomlinson ample time to find himself a girlfriend or two during his time away from his former bandmates. The singer began dating Danielle Campbell in 2015 up until January 2017. During this time, he also dated Briana Jungwirth, however, the two were never exclusive. Tomlinson then began dating Eleanor Calder, whom he is still with to this day.
4 He Embarked On A Journey As A Solo Artist
Not only did Louis Tomlinson take time from the One Direction break up to find himself love, but he also embarked on his very own solo career. It was only a matter of time for Tomlinson to do so, since his former bandmates had already done the same. Niall, Zayn, Liam, and Harry had all decided to venture off into solo acts and were pretty successful at doing so. The singer officially released his first-ever solo album in early 2020 titled "Walls", however, he has since had to cancel his tour due to the current pandemic.
3 He Welcomed His First Son In 2016
If there is one moment that remains one of the most important in Louis' life, it is without a doubt the birth of his first and only son, Freddie Reign. As mentioned, Louis briefly dated Briana Jungwirth, and while the two were never officially together, they both had a baby with one another! Freddie was born back in 2016 and remains the highlight of Louis' life. While custody was granted to Briana, Louis has unlimited visitation and parental rights, however, due to his career and lifestyle, it made sense for Freddie to be raised in a stable household without having to constantly move or travel due to Louis' schedule.
2 He's Endured A Lot Of Family Heartache
While being a member of one of the biggest boy bands in the world can have its ups, Louis has certainly managed to undergo a lot of downs throughout his life. Back in 2016, Louis lost his mother to a very aggressive form of leukemia, and later lost his sister, Felicity, to an accidental drug overdose. Both losses crushed Louis tremendously and led the singer to reach "rock bottom" due to the overwhelming amounts of stress, sadness, and anger.
1 Simon Cowell Is A Major Father Figure For Louis
Louis Tomlinson first met Simon Cowell back in 2010 when he had his first audition for "The X Factor". After being mentored by the music icon throughout the season and later guided by Cowell during his time in One Direction, the two have become quite close. Louis considered Simon like a father to him and the rest of the boys and even attended Cowell's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2018.