Billy Porter has apologised to Harry Styles for criticising his Vogue cover shoot in which the former One Direction singer wore a dress.

Styles made history in December 2020 as US Vogue’s first-ever male solo cover star where he was pictured wearing a Gucci dress and skirt.

Porter later expressed his objection to the fashion magazine’s decision to feature Styles, telling The Times: “I created the conversation [about non-binary fashion] and yet Vogue still put Harry Styles, a straight white man, in a dress on their cover for the first time.

“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.”

The American singer and actor, who has gained a lot of attention over the years for his statement fashion choices, added: “This is politics for me. This is my life. 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 now. All he has to do is be white and straight.”

Now, Porter has extended an apology to Styles during a recent appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

“Harry Styles, I apologise to you for having your name in my mouth,” the Pose star said. “It’s not about you. The conversation is not about you.”

He went on to add that the conversation is “deeper than that”, explaining that “it is about the systems of oppression and erasure of people of colour who contribute to the culture”.

“Now, that’s a lot to unpack,” he continued. “I’m willing to unpack it, sans the dragging and cancel culture of the internet, because I do not now, nor will ever, adjudicate my life or humanity in sound bites on social media. So when you’re ready to have the real conversation, call a bitch. OK? I’m ready to have it!”

Porter reiterated his apology to Styles and added: “I didn’t mean no harm. I’m a gay man. We like Harry, he’s cute!”

Meanwhile, Styles helped a young fan come out to their mother during a concert earlier this month.