No, You're Not Just Speculating
One of the most common defenses used when discussing Luke and Nicola is, "We're just speculating."
Real speculation includes uncertainty. It includes the possibility of being wrong. Not just saying "I could be wrong," but actually behaving as though you could be wrong.
What I often see in this fandom is not speculation at all. It is conviction disguised as speculation.
People claim they are "just asking questions" while simultaneously insisting that secret marriages are real, multiple pregnancies have happened, public relationships are fake, friends are lying, interviews are scripted, and anyone who disagrees simply has not looked at the "evidence."
That is not speculation. That is belief. And once people become emotionally attached to a belief, they often stop evaluating whether it is true. Instead, they begin looking for ways to defend it.
Every photograph becomes proof. Every coincidence becomes proof. Every denial becomes proof. Even the absence of evidence becomes proof. Which then makes it so the goal is no longer discovering the truth. The goal is protecting a narrative.
People refuse to acknowledge the harm they cause because they have convinced themselves that they are simply discussing theories. But words do not become harmless just because they are framed as speculation.
If thousands of people repeatedly claim that someone's relationship is fake, that has consequences. If people spread pregnancy rumours, that has consequences. If fans harass partners, friends, family, journalists, or other fans because they do not fit a preferred narrative, that has consequences. The damage does not disappear simply because someone adds, "It's just my opinion" at the end.
Intent matters. But impact matters too.
A person can genuinely believe they are doing no harm while actively contributing to an environment that encourages harassment, misinformation, and the dehumanization of real people.
The fact that someone does not intend to cause harm does not mean harm is not being caused. And refusing to acknowledge that harm once it has been pointed out is a choice.
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