The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Louis Tomlinson
One Direction alum and singer Louis Tomlinson received an outpouring of support after his little sister, 18-year-old Félicité Tomlinson, passed away on March 13, 2019, of a suspected heart attack. Louis' heartache over Félicité's unexpected passing was made worse by the loss of his mother, Johannah Deakin, two years earlier from cancer. It's tough to lose anyone you love, but it's especially difficult to endure this pain twice in the span of a few years.
As if the deaths in Louis' family weren't traumatic enough, he experienced other tough moments throughout the years, like untrue rumors about his personal life. Although some might argue that gossip doesn't fall under the tragic category, no one — famous or not — should have to take to deal with lies about their character or misinformation about the people close to them.
Then there's the topic of Louis' time in One Direction, which always wasn't glamorous. From his personal insecurities concerning his talent to fan-created drama, his boy band past got pretty dark. Unfortunately, these aren't the only sad details about the singer's life. Keep the tissues handy as we revisit Louis Tomlinson's real-life tragic story.
The devastating loss of Louis Tomlinson's little sister
Louis Tomlinson's family suffered a horrible loss on March 13, 2019, when 18-year-old Félicité Tomlinson (above) passed away from a suspected heart attack. Félicité, a social media influencer and aspiring fashion designer, was pronounced dead by paramedics after she unexpectedly collapsed at her London apartment, per The Sun. The health emergency was reportedly shocking to Louis and his loved ones, because "Félicité had absolutely no warning signs and they knew of no prior history of heart trouble," according to sources who spoke with gossip website TMZ.
Following Félicité's untimely passing, a supposed source told The Sun that the family was "devastated." Louis was hit especially hard, and he reportedly canceled all of the promotional events for his new single, "Two of Us." According to an insider cited by the media outlet, "Louis is obviously distraught at the loss of his sister. He has canceled all promo, which includes his performance on Comic Relief this week. It's just the biggest tragedy and everyone wants to be there for Louis, who is the leader of his family since the loss of his mother and always there for all his siblings."
"Two of Us" is about the December 2016 death of Louis' mother, which makes the timing of Félicité's death all that more tragic. Our hearts go out to the Tomlinson family as they heal from both of these losses.
His beloved mother died of cancer
Fans of Louis Tomlinson are probably well aware of the deep bond he had with his late mother, Johannah Deakin (above right). Tragically, Tomlinson's time with Deakin was cut short after she passed away from leukemia in December 2016 at the age of 43.
Tomlinson first got the call about his mom's terminal diagnosis while attending a friend's wedding, a moment he described as "super-traumatic." Despite wanting to "throw the towel in" right then and there, the singer's always upbeat mother told him to remain strong. "But it was my mum who said to me that I've just got to keep going," he shared in a SiriusXM Radio interview (via Hello! magazine). "She told me very sternly that she wanted me to."
Deakin died less than a year after the birth of Tomlinson's son, Freddie, which means the little guy will grow up without his paternal grandmother. The proud mom also left behind Tomlinson's six siblings, including her then 2-year-old twins, Ernest and Doris.
Tomlinson touched on the heartbreaking death of his mother in the single, "Two of Us," singing in one particularly tough verse: "This morning I woke up still dreaming/With memories playing through my head/You'll never know how much I miss you/The day that they took you, I wish it was me instead." How gut-wrenching. We can't even begin to imagine the entertainer's pain — at least he has music as an outlet for his grief.
About Louis Tomlinson's baby mama drama
Louis Tomlinson was one proud papa when he welcomed his son, Freddie, into the world in January 2016. But his happiness took a complicated turn after the little guy's mother, Briana Jungwirth (above), allegedly put a wrench in his visitation schedule.
A little backstory before we get into the drama: Jungwirth and Tomlinson were never a long-term couple (at least not publicly), and reportedly weren't together when Freddie made his debut. Things were somewhat OK between the new parents until Tomlinson's then-girlfriend, Danielle Campbell, stepped onto the scene in the summer of 2016. After Campbell and Tomlinson were spotted enjoying a day at the beach with Freddie, Jungwirth allegedly tweeted, according to the Daily Mail: "You will NEVER be my baby son's mother." Yikes. Campbell's existence is what reportedly sparked custody issues between Jungwirth and Tomlinson, and the singer reportedly accused Freddie's mom of giving him "inconsistent" visitation, according to TMZ.
Making matters even more dramatic? Tomlinson reportedly believed Jungwirth was withholding Freddie in a scheme to get more money (via TMZ). Considering the singer bought Jungwirth and Freddie a Calabasas, Calif. home "worth hundreds of thousands of dollars," he didn't appreciate the alleged custody antics.
Tomlinson reportedly filed for joint custody in late June 2016, but it's not crystal clear how the case turned out. There's a good chance it ended well, however, because the two celebrated Freddie's first birthday side-by-side.
Then there's that fake baby conspiracy
Although it might be difficult to believe, some fans started a rumor that Louis Tomlinson's son isn't real. Yeah, that happened.
According to Buzzfeed, it all started with the theory that Tomlinson's relationship with Jungwirth was set up for publicity. One Directioners pointed out that a Jungwirth fan account, for example, was created two days before the couple's first public outing. The date night was photographed by the British newspaper, The Sun, and the outlet was the first to announce Jungwirth's pregnancy in July 2015. Internet sleuths also brought up a moment that occurred at a June 2015 One Direction concert, when, in a moment a few people interpreted as a foreshadowing clue, Tomlinson threw a baby doll off of the stage while shouting, "It's not real!" And that's just the tip of the conspiratorial iceberg.
In a upsetting and decidedly real turn of events, the rumors caught up with Tomlinson in April 2016 while he was putting Freddie into his car seat. In a since-deleted video of the incident, a paparazzo can be heard telling the dad (via Refinery29), "Hey mate, it's good to see your baby's real, man," a remark that didn't go over too well. "Have a bit of respect for the baby," Tomlinson shot back.
Tomlinson's run-in with the pap is proof that conspiracy theories can potentially hurt innocent people.
Gossip hurt Louis Tomlinson's friendship with Harry Styles
One Direction fans have a knack for creating conspiracy theories. Case in point: In addition to the fake baby theory, some fans speculated that Louis Tomlinson was in a secret relationship with his former bandmate, Harry Styles. Not only did the One Directioners give them the nickname "Larry Stylinson," but they created YouTube videos depicting "evidence" of their supposed relationship. Others "wrote fan fiction and created fan art that often depicted the pair in romantic and sexual scenarios," according to Hello Giggles.
While it's common for fans to ship celebrities together, this rumor was different because it made assumptions about Tomlinson's sexuality. The stress of the situation eventually took a toll on his friendship with Styles, a sad reality he touched on in a July 2017 interview with The Sun. "When it first came around I was with Eleanor, and it actually felt a little bit disrespectful to Eleanor, who is my girlfriend now," he said, adding, "I'm so protective over things like that, about the people I love. So it created this atmosphere between the two of us where everyone was looking into everything we did."
Former 1D star Zayn Malik also seemingly addressed the rumor in an interview with Fader, stating: "It's not funny, and it still continues to be quite hard for them. They won't naturally go put their arm around each other because they're conscious of this thing that's going on, which is not even true."
Tomlinson was overwhelmed with feelings of self-doubt
Louis Tomlinson has struggled with painful instances of self-doubt throughout the years, especially where it concerns his involvement in 1D. The singer felt like he didn't have the "it" factor his former bandmates enjoyed, a sentiment he elaborated on in a June 2017 interview with The Guardian. After listing all of the guys' admirable traits — he praised Niall Horan as "lovely" and "fearless;" Liam Payne as having "good stage presence;" Harry Styles as being "very cool;" andZayn Malik as having a "fantastic voice" — Tomlinson ended his gushing tribute by saying, "And then there's me." Aww. It sounds like Tomlinson needs a reality check, because he's definitely talented and beloved by many.
Sadly, Tomlinson's insecurity followed him into his solo career. "If you'd asked me a year or 18 months ago: 'Are you going to do anything as a solo artist?' I'd have said absolutely not," he told The Guardian. "I couldn't say to you now that I could definitely get a superstar writer in a session with me. And I understand that. Harry won't struggle with any of that."
Despite Tomlinson's fears, his solo singles performed pretty well on the Billboard music charts. The numbers don't lie, folks.
The drama with his estranged dad
Although Louis Tomlinson maintained a strong relationship with his mom, Johannah Deakin, up until her death, the same can't be said for his biological father, Troy Austin. According to Metro, Austin and Deakin divorced when Tomlinson was very young, and Tomlinson eventually adopted the last name of his step-dad, Mark Tomlinson.
Fans learned of Troy's existence in March 2013, when he gave an in-depth interview to The Mirror about his strained relationship with the then-1D star. In the article — which Troy supposedly wasn't paid for — he expressed regret about his falling out with Louis, and spoke about his efforts to reconnect. "Seeing what he's done with his life makes me so happy," he shared. "I know people will think I'm only interested in being part of his life again because he's rich and famous. But it's not about that."
Louis seemingly wasn't happy with his bio dad's public move. The same day the interview went live, he tweeted, "I'd like to start off the day by saying a big f**k you to 'the mirror' :)"
Two years later, Troy allegedly planned to drop a "bombshell" about Louis' life. "He sees it as his final shot at getting Louis' attention," a source claimed (via The Mirror). Apparently feeling protective of Louis, his stepdad, Mark, sent out a tweet seemingly meant for Troy. "Blackmail????????? Stupid man," he wrote. "Got a good mind to pay you a visit!!!!"
When it rains, it pours
After Louis Tomlinson's mother passed away, he received more bad news when Troy Austin was diagnosed with liver cancer in May 2018. "I believe my tumor was down to drinking and smoking," Austin told The Sun. "I can't blame it on anything else."
Austin also painted a picture of how dark his life had become before the diagnosis, stating: "Some days I wouldn't eat at all but would just drink and smoke. I would drink to celebrate the good times and drink to cope with the bad. Whatever life threw at me I would drink. And there was stress. The stress of my mum dying in March last year and my dog Okee died five days before Christmas."
Luckily for Austin, doctors at Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, England were able to remove the cancerous tumor following a four-hour surgery. Although Tomlinson didn't speak out about his estranged dad's surgery, it's fair to theorize it brought up bad memories for him. Despite Tomlinson's silence, Austin expressed hope for a reunion in his post-op interview. "As for Louis, if he ever wanted to make contact then I would be happy for that to happen," he said.
It's unclear at this time if the father and son have since reconnected.
Louis Tomlinson hasn't been able to fulfill an important promise
When you're the member of a mega-popular pop group, it can be easy for resentment to build up between you and another member, whether it's due to creative differences or complex personal stuff. Former One Direction stars Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik are no exception to this rule, as they have been on the outs ever since the "Pillowtalk" singer left the group in 2015 for "private time." The bad blood first surfaced when Malik shaded the boy band, twisting the knife a little deeper when he skipped Tomlinson's first performance following the 2016 death of his mom, Johannah Deakin. Tomlinson explained on an episode of The Dan Wootton Interview podcast that the incident "really bugged" him, which is understandable.
Cut to October 2019, and Tomlinson was still not ready to make peace with Malik. "At the moment, I am still pretty mad about the whole thing," he told Metro about the possibility of reuniting with Malik for 1D. "I don't think he [Malik] handled it very well. But never say never. Who knows? He chatted a lot of s**t in the early days. I thought One Direction were pretty good."
What's heartbreaking about all of this? Deakin's dying wish was for the guys to make things right, because, as she once put it, "Life is too f**king short." All we can say is we hope the two are able to put all of this behind them one day.
Yikes, talk about an embarrassing moment...
Before Louis Tomlinson joined the hit group One Direction in 2010, he was just another aspiring musician trying out various bands. At one point early on in his career, the future pop star became part of a group he "really loved," noting on The Late Late Show with James Corden in October 2019, "It was my first moment of singing and performing." All seemed to be going well until Tomlinson was asked during a speaking and listening exam in English class to "talk about something" he was really fond of, a.k.a. the band. "I did this whole speech about how much I loved this band, and this one kid asked me a question [I can't recall] ... but it ended in me realizing that I'd just been kicked out of that band," he shared with the titular host. "And I didn't even know about it."
Ugh, talk about a humiliating experience. Although we wouldn't say this incident was tragic, it sucks to lose something you love no matter what it is. But don't feel too bad for Tomlinson. As he went on to note, "It was because the lead guitarist, I think he was a bit jealous and wanted all the glory for himself. I had the last laugh, really, didn't I?" We can't help but say we agree. Way to show 'em, Tomlinson!
The heartbreaking truth about Louis Tomlinson's late sister
When Louis Tomlinson's beloved sister, 18-year-old Félicité Tomlinson, passed away in March 2019, the cause of death was unknown. But six months later, an inquest into Félicité's death revealed she died of an accidental overdose, with a coroner reportedly stating (via The Sun): "It was a perfect storm, the oxycodone, the alprazolam (Xanax) and cocaine. She was an individual who took drugs deliberately and has succumbed to their said effects accidentally. I find no evidence this was a deliberate act to end her life." It was reported that Félicité developed a dangerous relationship with drugs after the passing of her mother, Johannah Deakin, in 2016.
Of course, any death of a young person is tragic. And this situation is especially gut-wrenching because Tomlinson was reportedly trying to help Félicité overcome her alleged drug addiction in the months leading up to her passing, with the older sibling bringing her to rehab in September 2018. Félicité reportedly got clean by that November, and supposedly left rehab early against the advice of her care team. Another doctor involved in the inquest summed up the unfortunate situation, candidly stating, according to The Sun, "She admitted she didn't want to give up drugs and she knew it could kill her."
We can't imagine the grief Tomlinson's family continues to go through due to this loss, and our thoughts are with them at this time.