Just hours ago, Directioners from all over the world came together to mourn the loss of One Direction’s Liam Payne. With reports alleging that the former boy band member had been under the influence of dr*gs and alcohol, his fans have been seeking solace in the memories that the forever 31-year-old has left behind.
Although his time with Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik will always be remembered, the Strip That Down singer faced some of his hardest times when the group shot to stardom in the mid-2010s. In fact, Payne once opened up about how being in the public eye had become toxic for him.
How One Direction became toxic for Liam Payne
One Direction was a huge part of many people’s lives. However, the band’s impact on the members was rather adverse. Although the exposure on X-Factor brought them a lot of fame, the constant touring and being thrown into the spotlight came with its own set of challenges for the group.
In an interview with Men’s Health, Liam Payne revealed how the band’s sudden popularity left him feeling rather lonely at times. In turn, it pushed him to turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism.
When you’re doing hundreds and hundreds of [concerts] and it’s the same 22 songs at the same time every single day, even if you’re not happy, you’ve got to go out there. It’s almost like putting the Disney costume on before you step up on stage and underneath the Disney costume I was pissed quite a lot of the time because there was no other way to get your head around what was going on.
After all, for his fans, Payne had to put aside whatever he was going through and smile through the pain. While it was hard to do, the Live Forever singer still made some good memories that lasted him a lifetime. He even explained, “I mean it was fun. We had an absolute blast but there were certain parts of it where it just got a little bit toxic.”
Payne was vocal about his struggles with addiction and mental health in the last few years of his bright life. However, he revealed that he was still fighting a constant battle.
Liam Payne once opened up about his struggles with addiction
With reports from BBC and more claiming that Liam Payne had been under the influence of dr*gs and alcohol at the time of his demise, fans can’t help but find themselves looking back at the warning signs of his struggles. After all, the Teardrops singer had started speaking out about his problems just a few short years before his untimely passing.
In an episode of The Diary of a CEO podcast in 2021, Payne revealed some of his darkest moments and lowest points. Although he was going through more than most could fathom, he explained that he was brilliant at hiding behind a facade.
I was worried how far my rock bottom was going to be. Where’s rock bottom for me? And you would never have seen it. I’m very good at hiding it. No one would ever have seen it.
After all, Payne had a decade of experience masking his pain and troubles during his time with One Direction. While the singer had been open about his struggles with addiction, he admitted that no one knew just how bad things were. He stated, “There is some stuff that I have definitely never, never spoken about.”
Payne’s struggles seemingly got the best of him. However, there was a brief glimmer of hope in 2023 when he had an epiphany at a Hans Zimmer concert and decided that it was time to put down the drink. Unfortunately, his sobriety ended up being short-lived.
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