Billy Porter Walks Back Harry Styles Criticism

Billy Porter has had a change of heart and has issued an apology for his recent comments slamming Harry Styles' praised Vogue cover. "Harry Styles, I apologize to you for having your name in my mouth," the actor said during his appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

The "Watermelon Sugar" singer graced the magazine as its first solo male cover star in November of last year. The moment was praised among many for Styles' groundbreaking decision to don a dress in her photoshoot, which Porter took offense to saying that he "changed the game." 

"It's not about you. The conversation is not about you. The conversation is actually deeper than that. It is about the systems of oppression and erasure of people of color who contribute to the culture," he continued. Porter added: "I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean no harm. I'm a gay man. We like Harry Styles, he's cute!"

The Pose alum challenged Styles' cover during his interview with The Sunday Times last month. "I changed the whole game. And that is not ego, that is just fact. I was the first one doing it and now everybody is doing it," Porter said. "I feel like the fashion industry has accepted me because they have to. I'm not necessarily convinced, and here is why: I created the conversation, and yet Vogue still put Harry Styles, a straight white man, in a dress on their cover for the first time."

Porter continued, bringing Vogue's decision to make the fashion statement with the singer. "I'm not dragging Harry Styles, but he is the one you're going to try and use to represent this new conversation? He doesn't care, he's just doing it because it's the thing to do."

"This is politics for me. This is my life," he said. "I had to fight my entire life to get to the place where I could wear a dress to the Oscars and not be gunned down. All he has to do is be white and straight."