iam Payne – a former member of One Direction – used to abuse anti-epileptic drugs under famous pressure, having to undergo psychological treatment when the group disbanded.
According to Reuters on the evening of October 16 local time (morning of October 17, Hanoi time), Liam Payne, 31, died after falling from a height of 13 to 14 meters with “very serious, life-saving injuries”. Earlier, the emergency facility received a report of a man “behaving erratically, possibly under the influence of narcotics”.
Liam Payne at The Fashion Awards, London in December 2022. Photo: AP
Many fans were surprised by Liam Payne’s death, sending condolences on his personal page. They said that they grew up from the songs of One Direction (1D), liked Liam Payne since childhood, so they didn’t believe he died. Some people left comments: “Rest in peace, Liam. I came here as a teenager to say goodbye to you, with a broken heart”, “Rest in peace, part of my childhood”, “Liam’s songs helped me get out of the dark period and now I still support you”.
Some artists such as Charlie Puth, Paris Hilton, and Ty Dolla $ign posted tributes to Liam. Puth wrote on Instagram Story: “Liam has always been nice to me. He was one of the first major artists I had the opportunity to collaborate with. I can’t believe you’re gone.” The Attention singer continued to post a video of him and Liam with a photo of the two taken together with the caption: “May you rest in peace”.
Singer Liam Payne (left) and Charlie Puth during a meeting. Photo: Instagram Charlie Puth
Liam Payne was born in 1993 in Wolverhampton, England. The singer grew up in a family that was not well off but happy, with his father being an assembler and his mother being a nurse. In an interview with the Telegraph in 2017, Liam said that even though the house was unaffordable and still in debt, his parents still tried to give him a good life.
In 2008, Liam participated in the music contest The X Factor because he believed that success in the music industry would make his parents proud. However, judge and producer Simon Cowell advised him to return two years later. In 2010, he returned to the show and was included in the One Direction squad with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson – marking a life-changing milestone.
After winning third place in the finals, the band signed with Simon Cowell’s record label – Syco Entertainment. In September 2011, One Direction released their debut single What Makes You Beautiful, which dominated many UK music charts at No. 1. The group has a large number of fans after its debut, compared by the media to have the same attraction as the favorite craze The Beatle (Beatlemania). To date, 1D has sold more than 70 million albums worldwide, considered one of the biggest boy bands of all time.
Speaking to Teen Vogue in 2017, Liam Payne described life as a group member as “going to college,” full of great memories. But in an interview with the Telegraph in 2020, he admitted to being exhausted and suffering from a fear of narrow spaces. He said that there was a time when he was surrounded by fans, unable to go out, leading to cabin fever syndrome (cabin fever – anxiety when having to stay indoors for too long).
“I remember there were about 10,000 people outside our hotel. I can’t go anywhere, I can only move from one performance to another. I also couldn’t sleep because they kept gathering outside,” Liam said.
The singer said his anger at the troubles of fame peaked in 2012. A paparazzi accidentally knocked over his mother as the family walked to a restaurant in New York. “At that time, I was very angry. There was a bunch of paparazzi there while I just wanted to eat a burger with my parents. I cried and thought, ‘I can’t keep doing this,’ and I really hated life,” he told the Telegraph.
One Direction on stage “The X Factor” in 2010. From left: Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. Photo: Rex
In 2015, Zayn Malik announced his departure from the group and Liam Payne replaced Malik’s role as a high-key vocalist. However, 1D was “frozen” indefinitely a few months later and the band also ceased operations in 2016. All members pursue solo careers.
In 2017, Liam released his debut single Strip That Down – featuring Ed Sheeran. This is also the title track on his first and only solo album – LP1 – released in 2019. Critics did not appreciate the composition, saying that Liam was “struggling to assert his own artistic identity”. However, the song peaked at number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In March, he released the single Teardrops – the last recording of his life.
According to Billboard, Liam initially did not want to become a solo artist, planning to be a musician. However, he realized that he had been singing since the age of 14, feeling “stupid” if he gave up. “Since leaving the group, we have had some good opportunities to develop. I need to do something to succeed,” he told the news agency in 2017.
Speaking to the Guardian in 2019, Liam Payne revealed that he was disoriented when the group disbanded, having to go to psychotherapy for two years. “At first things were difficult because I didn’t understand myself. It feels like I’m paralyzed,” he said. Also in the interview, Liam said that he used alcohol and antiepileptic drugs to stabilize his mood, fighting “psychological erratic moments” when the band was at its peak.
The singer had a period of alcoholism to the point of having to go to a rehabilitation facility. In June 2022, he angered 1D fans when he made a negative comment about Zayn Malik on Logan Paul’s podcast, telling the story of a fight with an unnamed member backstage. On YouTube afterwards, Liam posted a video apologizing to fans and announcing that he was going to rehab. In May 2023, he celebrated his 100th day of soberness, saying he had better control over his life.
In terms of personal life, the love story of Liam and X Factor judge Cheryl Tweedy has been scrutinized by the public due to the age difference. The two first met at the show’s audition and were asked to date in 2016, when Liam was 23 and Cheryl was 33. In 2017, the star couple welcomed their first child and announced their separation a year later.
He dated model Maya Henry in 2019, got engaged in August 2020. The relationship is not durable, constantly dissolving until 2022. Before his death, he was in a two-year relationship with influencer Kate Cassidy.
