Harry Styles Finally Addressed the Queerbaiting Allegations on SNL — by Kissing Ben Marshall on the Lips

Michael Prieve Sun, March 15, 2026 at 2:11 PM UTC

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Summary -

Harry Styles hosted SNL for the second time on March 14, 2026, addressing years of queerbaiting allegations during his opening monologue.

Styles kissed male cast member Ben Marshall on the lips before turning to the camera and quipping, “Now that’s queerbaiting.”

The episode also featured surprise appearances from Ryan Gosling and Paul Simon, plus two performances from Styles’ new album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.

Seven years of think pieces, pearl necklace discourse, and very heated comment sections, and it took Harry Styles exactly one SNL monologue to settle the queerbaiting debate. With a wink. And a smooch.

Styles returned to host and perform on Saturday Night Live on March 14, 2026 — marking his second time pulling double duty after his 2019 stint — with his fourth studio album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, freshly out in the world. And he wasted absolutely zero time making the evening’s thesis statement abundantly clear.

Styles opened by reflecting on the time off he’d taken after wrapping his Love On Tour. “I finished my last tour in 2023, and after that I took a bunch of time off,” he told the audience. “I realized I’d spent half my life in music, touring, creating albums and making songs about fruit that people think are about sex. I just really like fruit, guys. I like sex too.” Cool. Noted. Moving on.

He also admitted that during his hiatus, he learned he is “tremendously boring” after taking up jogging. “I don’t run to be interesting,” he said. “I do it for the feeling it gives me, that runner’s high. It’s just amazing. Watermelon sugar high, runner’s high, and if that doesn’t do it for you, I also love ecstasy.” The man contains multitudes. Fruity, jogging multitudes. Then came the part everyone will be screenshotting until the end of time.

Styles addressed his queerbaiting allegations directly, zeroing in on the era before his hiatus: “Back then, people seemed to pay a lot of attention to the clothes I was wearing, and some people accused me of something called ‘queerbaiting.'” He then pivoted into a mock-exasperated teenage voice: “But did it ever occur to you — you don’t know everything about me, Dad!”

Photo Credit: NBC

The line landed somewhere between a clapback and a therapy session, and the crowd absolutely ate it.

He then pivoted to the kissing theme of his album title, musing, “Sometimes kissing can be great. You know, if you’re really good at it and you’re a good person.” Cast members Chloe Fineman and Sarah Sherman both made their moves and were promptly, comedically denied.

Enter: Ben Marshall.

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When Marshall stepped forward, Styles quipped, “Or if you have a tight little bum. C’mon, Ben, everyone knows there’s nothing little about that thang. You’re holding a damn wagon back there.” He relented with a “Whatever, come here,” leaned in for a peck, then turned to the camera and deadpanned: “Now that’s queerbaiting.”

It was quick, it was cheeky, and it was the most anyone has said about this topic while technically saying nothing at all. Genius, really.

While the kiss played primarily as a comedic beat, its inclusion inevitably reignited discussion around Styles’ approach to queer representation — something he did not expand upon directly during the broadcast. Which, honestly, is very on brand.

Photo Credit: NBC

The monologue wasn’t the only thing making headlines. Ryan Gosling appeared to introduce Styles’ first musical performance of the night, returning the favor after Styles crashed Gosling’s monologue the previous week. Paul Simon then introduced Styles’ second performance, with Styles performing “Coming Up Roses” at the piano.

Styles performed two tracks from Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally — opening with “Dance No More” before closing with “Coming Up Roses.” The 12-track album, produced by Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson, was released on March 6. Styles is supporting the album with the Together, Together Tour, a 50-show residency across seven cities worldwide, including Amsterdam, London, and New York.

The episode also featured a mock Target commercial in which Styles revealed a fictional clothing line called Harry for Him, letting SNL cast members model his most iconic outfits — with predictably disastrous results. Poor Mikey Day.

Even the cold open got in on the Styles action, with James Austin Johnson’s Trump cracking, “Let me put it in a way that the Harry Styles fans in the crowd tonight can understand: The stock market is going in One Direction.”

It was Styles’ eighth SNL appearance overall, and if this episode is any indication, he’s not going to stop making it weird — or wonderful — anytime soon.

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