One Direction fans go into overdrive to defend Liam Payne after homophobia accusations

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Fans of One Direction’s Liam Payne have taken to social media in his defence, after he was accused of homophobia.

Payne took to Twitter himself to refute claims that he is homophobic, after he made comments at a One Direction live show in Columbus, Ohio.

Many took to Twitter to vent their frustration at the comments, when he was introducing one of the group’s songs, and accused him of forgetting his gay, bisexual and lesbian fans.

He said: “This is my favourite song off the last album, and it is about trying to find that number one woman of your life… which none of you can relate to, because most of you are girls.

“Except for the boys in here, you know what I’m talking about.”

In a series of tweets, Payne called claims that he is homophobic “ridiculous” but did go on to say he was “sorry to those I offended”.

Now his fans have made the hashtag ‘#WeLoveYouLiam’ trend after the incident.

One user tweeted: “The world doesnt deserve such thing as liam payne”, and another said: “HOW CAN YOU SAY LIAM IS AGAINST GAYS WHEN HE DIDN’T SAY THE WORDS… I HATE GAYS”.

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Tweeting himself, Payne wrote: “lol think some people take things to literal these days not gunna comment on it anymore you guys know what I meant it was meant in general… I am in no way shape or form homophobic that’s a ridicules [sic] thing to say and I’m not here to offend people so take it as you will.

“So annoying trying your hardest to make people happy in a show and you think about all the notes u tried to hit higher or a little sweeter… And all some people want to concentrate on was a throw away statement about a song that I love.”

He concluded: “I’m sorry to those I offended really I am but there’s no need for some of the things I’m being called.”

The star previously came under fire when he went shooting with the notoriously homophobic stars of reality show Duck Dynasty, as well as praising “the family values you still all behold” after a viciously homophobic rant from the family patriarch..

Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson claimed that sexually transmitted infections are God’s punishment for gays. This year he gave an Easter Sermon claiming that the “sexually immoral” homosexuals would go to hell.