Harry Styles receives apology from autograph hunter after their heated exchange as he claims singer 'helped calm him down'

Harry Styles has received a public apology from the autograph hunter he had a heated exchange with in New York earlier this week.

Giovanni set the record straight in a statement posted to Instagram on Friday to take 'full responsibility' for their recent encounter.

The former One Direction singer, 32, was seen having an altercation with the man, who was holding a stack of records for the star to sign.

After the argument, during which they pointed in each other's faces, Giovanni pursued Styles and his bodyguard through the Big Apple's streets. 

Now, the influencer has insisted Styles 'did not lose his cool' as he apologised to the singer for being 'out of line'.

'Harry didn't lose his cool, I did. He stayed calm and even helped calm me down,' the autograph hunter said in a statement. 

He added: 'I want to clear up some of the headlines about my recent encounter with Harry Styles in NYC.

'Harry has always been a gentleman to me, going all the way back to 2012 when he first signed for me.

'The truth is, I was having a bad day and I was out of line. Harry was actually totally chill about the whole situation and even helped calm me down.

'The headlines suggesting Harry lost his cool couldn't be further than the truth. If anything, I was the one who needed to cool down.

'I take responsibility and sincerely apologise to Harry. He's always been cool with me, and he deserves nothing but respect.'

Styles is often spotted out running or walking near his home in London and when visiting the US.

But he was seeking a bit more privacy earlier this week, choosing to wear a navy jumper, grey baseball cap and sunglasses.

The interaction comes after Styles recently credited an 'outgoing' girlfriend for making him less afraid to go out in public. 

Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine, Radiohead star Thom Yorke told the star: 'I was also impressed that you were just walking down the street. I was like, “Where’s his security?” 

'Because I mean, I know I can do it, but I didn’t know you could do it. Is that a choice?'

Styles explained: 'I think in the early days, when I was in the band, so much of the hotel experience felt very locked-in. When I’d be home, it felt like, “Oh, it’s not safe for me to be out".

'Then I had a girlfriend who was very outgoing, and she was coming to London and I was like, “Oh, if we just sit in my house for three days, she’s gonna think I’m nuts".

'So we walked everywhere, and it was this realisation for me, “Oh, it’s fine to be outside".

'It kind of broke that thing. Now it’s changed my life in such a big way, because it’s how you stay connected to the world.'

Styles may have been alluding to his past relationship with Taylor Swift, whom he dated around the height of One Direction's success back in 2012. She was 22 and he was 18 at the time.

He added: 'I read something about walking being the artist’s kind of perspective, because you’re at ground level and you see things that you just don’t see if you’re driving everywhere.'