Over the years, the singer has opened up about his time with the boy band and relationships with his former bandmates – and he recently shared his hopes of reconnecting with one member before his death.
Liam Payne’s journey with One Direction had many highs and lows — with the late star having spoken out multiple times over the years about his experience with the beloved boy band before his tragic death.
The five members of the juggernaut group — Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik — were put together on the 2010 edition of The X Factor in the UK, going on to a third-place finish before getting signed by Simon Cowell and catapulting to superstardom.
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The band went on to take the world by storm, amassing one of the largest and most passionate fan bases, and releasing five albums. And despite Malik leaving the band in 2015, and One Direction going on an indefinite hiatus in 2016, Directioners forever held out hope that they would one day see a reunion.
Instead, they mourned alongside Payne’s bandmates after the singer passed away at the age of 31 on October 16 after falling from his third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Following the heartbreaking news, Styles, Horan, Tomlinson, and Malik released a joint statement on social media.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say,” the statement read. “But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam. Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry.”
Tomlinson and Malik also shared individual tributes. Read them here.
In the wake of his devastating passing, TooFab is taking a look back at Payne’s history with One Direction, including what he’s said about his experience with the boy band and his former bandmates, and the hope’s he’d had to reconnect with one member before his death.
May 2017: 1D “Wonderful Time,” Slams Zayn’s Criticism
During an appearance on the Bizarre Life with Dan Wootton in May 2017, Payne shared that he didn’t understand why Malik talked poorly about his time in One Direction following his exit.
“It is very sad because One Direction was a wonderful, wonderful time in all of our lives. It was like uni, but on steroids,” he said at the time. “It was mad. It was madness. It was so much fun. I don’t understand how you can come out of that experience and say the things that he says sometimes. It doesn’t make any sense to me, but there you go.”
June 2019: Dark Days During Height of Fame
Payne had opened up about struggles he faced while a member of One Direction. In an interview with Men’s Health Australia for their July 2019 cover story, the singer recalled dark days during the height of the band’s fame, saying he drank to cope.
“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,” Payne said.
“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,” he continued. “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 also looked back at competing on The X Factor. He was only 14 when he auditioned the first time. Two years later, he was put into One Direction.
“It literally was the perfect storm. There were so many scenarios that had to fall into line for that to happen. It’s not something that can easily be recreated or probably ever will be because of the way the Internet was kicking off, the way The X Factor kicked off. I just think it was just dumb luck.”
The “Strip That Down” singer also spoke about how being in the band impacted his mental health.
“It’s difficult when you have the level of fame that we had in the band,” Payne said. “There have been a lot of people in trouble with mental health that aren’t really getting the help that they need, and I think that’s a bit of a problem in our industry.”
“It’s the same s–t that happens to everyone, that’s been happening since the ’70s,” he added. “You know what the traps are and if you are lucky enough, like me, to be able to get out of that scenario and back into a sense of normality, then you know it’s a bit different.”
See more about Payne’s past struggles with mental health in the link, below.
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All the Times Liam Payne Opened Up About His Mental Health Before His Death
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July 2022: Publicly Trashes 1D, Zayn
Payne’s most infamous comments about One Direction came during an interview with Logan Paul, in which he appeared on his Impaulsive podcast.
The pop star trashed the boy band, and even claimed that it was built around him, which later prompted The X Factor to debunk his claim with video proof.
During the interview, Payne also blasted his former bandmate, Zayn Malik, sharing his thoughts on the “Pillowtalk” singer after Paul asked about a feud between Malik, Gigi Hadid, and Logan’s brother Jake that then referenced Malik’s alleged altercation with Yolanda Hadid.
“There’s many reasons why I dislike Zayn and there’s many reasons why I’ll always, always be on his side,” Payne said. “If I had had to go through what he went through — with his growth and whatever else … My parents are overly supportive to the point where it’s annoying at times. Zayn had a different upbringing in that sense.”
“Listen, I don’t agree with any of his actions. I can’t commend some of the things that he’s done. I can’t be on his side for that,” he added. What I can say is I understand and your only hope is that at some point in their life, the person at the other end of the phone wants to receive the help that you’re willing to give them.”
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Payne also shaded Louis Tomlinson, saying he had a wild and rebellious spirit that often led to them butting heads.
“I wasn’t used to rowdy guys and whatever else. … Louis was wild and [he was] wanting to be wild, that’s his spirit, and also he’s my best mate now, but in the band we hated each other. Like, to come to blows — hated each other,” he said.
Without naming names, Payne further claimed that things did come to physicality with one of the guys, with one member allegedly throwing him against a wall backstage. “I said to him ‘If you don’t remove those hands there’s a high likelihood you’ll never use them again,'” Payne told Paul.
February 2023: Celebrates Styles’ Grammy Win
In 2023, Payne congratulated his former bandmate Harry Styles after he won two Grammys, including Album of the Year, for Harry’s House.
Payne took to Instagram, sharing a celebratory post in honor of Styles.
Alongside an image of Styles on stage looking down at his trophy after winning Album of the Year, Payne wrote, “Wow … this image is really something to wake up to, and when you write music like you do Harry you deserve every millisecond of that moment looking down smiling at the trophy you’ve earned. God bless you brother congratulations.”
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One Direction & Family Members Pay Tribute to Liam Payne
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July 2023: Apologies For Past Negativity
While Payne had previously issued apologies for the remarks he made about 1D and Malik on the Impaulsive podcast, he further addressed them — and explained the reason behind it all — in a YouTube video in July 2023.
“A lot of what I said came from the wrong place. I was so angry at what was going on around me and instead of taking a look inwards I decided to look outwards at everybody else and I just think, yeah, I took it out on everybody else, which is just wrong, really,” said Payne, who shared that he was celebrating six months of sobriety following 100 days in rehab.
“The whole thing up to that point was just a scramble to stay relevant,” Payne added of the time leading up to his decision to check in to rehab. And while he said he regretted his polarizing comments, he also has come to believe the “life-changing” experience “saved my life in a way.”
Payne said he had a better “grip on life and everything that was getting away from me; I just feel like I’ve got more of a handle on it.”
Despite his hurtful comments about some of his fellow members of One Direction, Payne said that “the rest of the boys really stuck by me when I needed them most, they kinda came to the rescue. Even Zayn, as well, which is why I did send him a little thank you online.”
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October 2024: Attends Niall Horan Concert
Just a couple of weeks before his death, Payne shared that he hoped to reunite with his former bandmate Niall Horan. Payne and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy went to Horan’s concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina on October 2, according to E! Online.
In a video shared on Snapchat — which was reposted on X — Payne revealed that he and Cassidy were going to attend Horan’s concert.
“I think we might just go and say hello! It’s been a while since me and Niall have spoken. We’ve got a lot to talk about,” he shared in the clip. “And I would like to square up a couple of things with the boy. No bad vibes or anything like that. But just … we need to talk.”
It’s unclear if Payne and Horan ultimately met up.
On October 16, Payne died after falling from his third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel. On Thursday, TMZ called his death an “apparent suicide” in a report noting that a police official, communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry Pablo Policicchio — the organization responsible for the city’s security — told the Associated Press that Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room.”
According to the preliminary autopsy, per TMZ, the fall resulted in multiple injuries, including “internal and external hemorrhage.” The toxicology report is still pending.
Following the news of Payne’s passing, the music industry, friends, family, and celebrities are reacting to the shocking and sudden loss. See how stars are paying tribute in the gallery, below.
For more trending news articles like this, visit DeFi Daily News.
In conclusion, Liam Payne’s journey with One Direction had its ups and downs, and his relationships with his former bandmates were complex. Throughout the years, he opened up about his experiences and struggles, showing vulnerability and growth. His hopes of reconnecting with one member before his untimely death highlight the importance of forgiveness and closure in life. Payne’s legacy will always be remembered by fans and the music industry, and his impact on pop culture will be cherished for years to come.
