The death of the former member of the band One Direction, Liam Payne resonated throughout the world. This Wednesday, the singer fell from the third floor of the Hotel Casa Sur in Palermo, Buenos Aires. The health history of the artist, who had kidney problems as a result of a premature birth, is extensive, as he confessed at different times in his career.
From mental health problems, through a kidney infection which led him to be urgently hospitalized in Italy in September 2023, and even an addiction to alcohol, Payne He faced different conditions that impacted not only his daily life, but also his career. And such is this reality that, in his last episode, the artist had to cancel his South America tour due to an infection that affected his kidneys so seriously that it forced him to interrupt his professional plans.
Likewise, over the years, the artist developed harmful habits related to excessive alcohol consumption. What’s more, in July 2023, he published a video on YouTube where he spoke about his mental health and the negative comments he received from his followers, as well as his criticism of his former bandmates. That is why he decided to attend a wellness clinic in USAwhere he stayed 100 days to treat his alcohol addiction and public pressure.
“Up until that point I was in very bad shape and I was very happy more than anything when I arrived to put a stop to my life and my work,” Payne said.
He alcoholism of Liam Payne began during the most intense years of One Directionwhen the team that managed the gang kept them locked in hotel rooms to guarantee their safety. This occurred due to the great popularity of the group worldwide. Payne confessed that, in this context, he found refuge in the rooms’ minibar, beginning to drink alone: “And what’s there? Minibar! “So I just thought, ‘I’m going to drink by myself,’ and that stayed with me for many years of my life.”
Furthermore, the singer described how the lack of freedom affected his well-being: “From the outside it seemed like we could do whatever we wanted, but we were locked up. We would go from the car to the hotel, get on stage to sing and then go back to the confinement, and when you are a teenager you need freedom.” This lack of personal space and the constant pressure of fame led him to use alcohol as an escape to deal with daily frustration.
In an interview with the media The Sunthe singer confessed that during his years in One Direction he dealt with serious mental health problems: “Going out and putting that happy smile on my face and singing the songs, honestly, sometimes it was like putting on one of those costumes, going out and, underneath of the costume, people don’t really see what’s going on.”
The thing is, while millions of fans cheered him at concerts, Payne was facing a crisis. “I shouldn’t have been able to do as many shows as we did, if I’m honest about it, if I’m brutally honest about it.”
In 2015, after his breakup with Sophia Smiththe singer was deeply impacted: “I let it affect me that day. I wasn’t in a good moment. “Unfortunately, I was going through a tough time and I let it get to me too much.” He even noted that the band’s frenetic pace didn’t help: “The more we did it, I don’t think we stopped to celebrate how good everything was… It was like, ‘Oh, you just won three EMAs, but get on the plane and go to the next place.’”
In addition, the artist assured that he had been diagnosed with “a couple of mental health conditions” that deeply affected his life. In a video shared on his instagramthe singer admitted that he felt “super low” at certain times, something that compromised his sobriety. In that sense, he explained that, due to the help of specialists and the tools he learned during his time at the rehabilitation clinic in USAI could recognize these episodes of low mood.
What’s more, he spoke of what he described as “manic” moments, which in the past led him to lose control over his addictions. He explained that he had recorded several videos talking about his experiences, but never felt ready to publish them, until now. “I don’t know if this is the right time, but I’m trying,” had confessed the singer, who struggled with these problems since the hiatus of One Direction. This revelation was an attempt to appear vulnerable to his fans and make it clear that appearances can be deceiving.
The singer mentioned that one of the biggest challenges he faced was finding emotional balance in his life. Although he had felt supported by his close circle, he acknowledged that many times the people around him could tell when he was not well, even before he accepted it himself. “I have wonderful people by my side, but I’m sure they can also see when I’m just not really here,” he said.
“I realized that blocking my feelings for so long made me sick and made me explode,” he said, highlighting that, after his experience in rehabilitation, he had understood that it is vital to “notice, allow the emotions to pass and let them dissipate.” , instead of trying to hide them.
News in development