Zara McDermott is struggling to cope with online abuse from One Direction fans after going public with her relationship with Louis Tomlinson. The former reality TV star, who now makes documentaries for the BBC, has been subjected to constant trolling from the singer's die-hard fans.
The abuse intensified after McDermott posted a photo of herself in Milan, where Tomlinson was performing. Fans accused her of “following” him around the world, with comments such as “I’d be embarrassed if I were my boyfriend’s pet that follows him everywhere” and “Do you have a proper job or is your job using Louis for money?”
A source told The Sun: “Zara can’t win with the trolls. She’s either accused of ‘following’ Louis around the world or is slated for not being a supportive enough girlfriend. It’s like she’s damned if you do, damned if you don’t.” In response, McDermott has decided to keep a lower profile to reduce the attacks.
Despite the abuse, the couple, who began dating in March last year and went public in August, are said to be completely smitten. Tomlinson has spoken about how his love for McDermott has influenced his music, saying on The Diary of a CEO podcast: “I’m a deeply, deeply romantic person… For me, I have to have been living it, it has to be real to me.” He added that he now has “a new sense of life, a new sense of happiness, and purpose, and fulfilment”.
