Louis Tomlinson has hit out at Logan Paul over a past interview he conducted with Liam Payne.

During an appearance on the 'Impaulsive' podcast in late May 2022, the 'Strip That Down' singer made some divisive remarks about his former One Direction bandmates.

Following backlash from fans, Payne issued an apology and clarified a comment he made about Zayn Malik, noting the 'Pillowtalk' hitmaker will always be "my brother".

Reflecting on the controversial interview amid a conversation for The Independent published over the weekend, Tomlinson declared that he will "forever despise" influencer Paul for the way he treated Payne when he was at a vulnerable moment in his life.

"I f**king forever despise (Logan Paul), horrible, horrible little f**ker," he told the outlet. "I think that's also the problem with some of this new 'media'... I would like to think most journalists - some journalists - have a duty of care."

In a video post to his YouTube channel in July 2023, Payne revealed the interview with Paul, among other challenging experiences, had led him to sign up for a sobriety treatment programme - where he stayed for 100 days.

The pop star died after falling from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina in October 2024. He was 31.

And while the 'Get Low' star was criticised for claiming he was the leader of One Direction amid the chat with Paul, Tomlinson asserted that this was essentially accurate.

"It was, definitely. It was definitely a role that was assigned to him. That is the truth," the 33-year-old continued. "In between him playing that role and also doing a huge chunk of the songwriting... it's not even up for debate."

Representatives for Paul have not yet responded to the criticism.

Elsewhere in the interview, Tomlinson revealed that Payne's death has brought the surviving members of One Direction - also comprised of Harry Styles and Niall Horan - closer.

"It's also just amazing to see everyone doing so well in their own right," he added.

Tomlinson is set to drop his third studio album, 'How Did I Get Here?', on 23 January 2026.