Every Directioner and Louie is currently spiraling over Zara McDermott, Louis Tomlinson, and urm, Joey Essex (??) after a series of viral photos sparked cheating rumors online.
And in case you somehow missed this celebrity crossover, Zara has been romantically linked to former One Direction star Louis Tomlinson since early 2025, with the pair keeping their relationship pretty low-key and private. As for Joey Essex — for anyone outside the UK, he’s one of Britain’s most recognizable reality TV personalities.
The timing has also caught fans’ attention because Louis is currently in Mexico attending a music festival, while the Zara and Joey photos have been making the rounds online back in the UK.
But before everyone starts crashing out, it’s important to point out one thing: nothing has actually been confirmed.
Right now, most of the conversation is coming from fans speculating on social media after photos of Zara and Joey appearing very close together started circulating online.
Why are fans accusing Zara McDermott of cheating?
The rumors started after images of Zara and Joey Essex — who are reportedly working together on Cooking With The Stars — went viral across TikTok and X.
In the first round of photos, initially shared by a TikTok account, TheLaughingDonkeyUK, Joey appeared to kiss Zara on the cheek/forehead area while the pair stood very close together at what fans believe was an event linked to their upcoming show.
That immediately got people talking, with some fans claiming the photos looked “too intimate” for two people who are supposedly just friends or coworkers.
But honestly, based on those original pictures alone, it’s difficult to say Zara was cheating on Louis. A kiss on the cheek is not exactly unheard of in the UK, and plenty of people online pointed out that Brits can be very affectionate with friends.
At that stage, the internet was mostly just reading into body language, closeness, and vibes rather than any actual proof.
Then another alleged Joey and Zara kissing photo surfaced
Things escalated when a second image began circulating online. The newer photo appears to show Zara and Joey kissing while in a very close embrace, which obviously caused another wave of reactions online almost instantly.
However, even this photo has become a debate in itself.
Some fans believe the image is genuine and think it changes the situation completely, while others are convinced it looks edited, AI-generated, or fake. At the moment, there’s no confirmation that the image is real, and none of the people involved have publicly commented on it.
So despite how fast the rumors are spreading, everything remains speculation for now.
Zara McDermott Has Cheated Before
A major reason fans reacted so strongly is because Zara has publicly spoken about cheating in a past relationship before.
Back in 2020, Zara admitted she had been unfaithful to her ex-boyfriend Sam Thompson during their relationship after reportedly having a fling with music executive Brahim Fouradi while appearing on The X Factor: Celebrity in 2019.
The fallout became a huge storyline on Made in Chelsea, including emotional scenes where Zara apologized to Sam and described her own behavior as “disgusting,” “selfish,” and immature.
Because of that history, some social media users quickly jumped to the phrase: “Once a cheater, always a cheater.”
But other fans pushed back against that narrative, arguing that Zara’s past doesn’t automatically mean she has done anything wrong now.
A lot of people also defended her by saying the original photos didn’t actually show anything scandalous and that fans may be overanalyzing the situation.
What’s happening with Zara and Louis now?
As of now, neither Zara nor Louis has publicly suggested there are any problems in their relationship.
The pair have kept things relatively private since romance rumors first linked them in 2025 and right now, there is no confirmed evidence that Zara cheated on Louis.
The rumors are mainly being fueled by viral photos, fan theories, and Zara’s past relationship history — but until somebody involved actually addresses the situation, the internet is essentially running on assumptions and speculation.
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