One Direction star Liam Payne dead at 31: A life of highs and lows

The news of the death of 31-year-old Liam Payne shocked the world. The musician was found dead in the courtyard of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after falling from the third floor. The head of emergency services, Alberto Crescenti, indicated that the musician suffered very serious injuries and, unfortunately, saving his life was impossible. Authorities are already investigating the case.

Payne's journey to fame was bumpy, and it all began back in 2008, when he applied for "X Factor" at just 14. He was eliminated during the boot camp stage before Simon Cowell changed his mind, brought him back into the competition, and he was eliminated once again. He was then told to "come back in two years." Interestingly, at that time, his future love, Cheryl Cole, was sitting on the jury, but we'll return to that later.

The year was 2010. The 7th edition of the music show was underway, and Liam once again stood before the judges to fight for victory and a chance at fame. Although he didn't achieve the first goal, as he didn't make it to the next stage, he did achieve the second goal, as Nicole Scherzinger came up with the idea to include him in a five-member boy band with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik. Ultimately, they took 3rd place, and the world later knew them as One Direction.

Cowell quickly saw an opportunity and took them under the wing of Syco Entertainment, and the rest is history. The single "What Makes You Beautiful" topped the charts, and their debut album "Up All Night" sold like hotcakes. Before they knew it, they were playing hundreds of concerts all over the world, and songs like "Live While We're Young," "Best Song Ever," and "Story of My Life" allowed them to build a fanbase that others could only dream of. Fans, known as Directioners, remain loyal to them despite a hiatus that's lasted many years.

In 2016, One Direction, to the dismay of their fans, took a break. A natural step was a solo career, which Liam and his colleagues occasionally pursued beforehand. He eventually released the single "Strip That Down," and later his name appeared among artists on the soundtrack for the movie "Fifty Shades Darker." After many complications, in December 2019, his debut solo album "LP1" was released to fans, but to the surprise of the label and Payne himself, unfortunately, not many were eagerly awaiting it at that time.

In the United States, the album debuted at only 111th place on the Billboard rankings, and the reviews were quite unfavourable. Despite this, Payne planned to release another album, but just a few days before his death, an informant from "The Sun" reported that the star's personal life wasn't going well, and his music career was "on ice." Fans, of course, didn't remain indifferent to these reports, but rumours that Liam was going through tough times had surfaced earlier.

In March 2023, Payne appeared at the premiere of the movie "All Of Those Voices," and the internet was abuzz with speculations about his changed appearance. It was suggested that he had opted for a change of looks, and experts speculated on whether and what he might have done to improve himself. A few months later, it was reported that Liam was hospitalized and struggling with serious health issues. Earlier, in 2021, he opened up about his struggles with addiction and depression during an interview on the podcast "The Diary of a CEO."

I was worried about how deep I could fall. Where would the bottom be? No one would ever see it because I hide it well. I didn't talk about many things; the situation was really serious. I had a problem. When I looked at myself after all that, I realized, "I need to change something" - he confessed.

He was said to drown his sorrows in alcohol, often drinking alone. He claimed it was a way to ease his nerves, but increasingly it was also a method of dealing with a harsh reality. Issues with alcohol had been mentioned earlier as his battle with addiction began during his One Direction days. In the podcast "Table Manners with Jessie Ware," he recalled:

Our schedule was one big mess. When I got off the stage, all the endorphins left me. So I started drinking heavily. I'd get up at five in the afternoon and do it all over again - he admitted. We were definitely overworked; we had no personal life, so I didn’t really learn anything about myself. I needed it to end. If we hadn't decided to take a break, it would have killed me.

Fans of the band suggested for years that under Simon Cowell's wing, the group members were clearly overworked, turning them into a money-making machine. This affected both their privacy and health. Recently, the father of One Direction's success spoke on Stephen Bartlett's podcast "The Diary of a CEO" about how his biggest regret is not owning the rights to the group's name. The band members hold those, so Cowell can no longer profit from them - not that he wouldn't want to.

Here's the problem. You could make an animation or anything else, but when you give the artist rights to the name, you don't have them yourself - and I regret that.

Internet users also pointed out strange interviews with Payne, for example, in 2022 at the Oscars, where he seemed somewhat absent and unhealthily agitated. In mid-2023, Liam posted a video on YouTube admitting he spent 100 days in rehab and that "the party had ended for him" six months earlier. However, media reports following his death indicate that facing another life crisis might have unfortunately led him back to old habits.

Chilling photos from Liam Payne's hotel room revealed. The scene included, among other things, a white powder

Over the years, much was said about his personal life. In 2010, he met Danielle Peazer, a dancer associated with the "X Factor" program. After they split in 2012, his heart also beat faster for Sophia Smith, a childhood friend. However, even here, the hectic schedule resulting from One Direction's activities prevented him from building a stable relationship. The relationship with Cheryl Cole, with whom he had a son named Bear in March 2017, was widely known.

In an interview with People, he recalled that he "always wanted to be a young dad" and "loves spending time with his son." The relationship with Cheryl ultimately didn't survive, and the singer later said she fell in love with the wrong men, and Bear is the man of her life with no plans for more relationships. On the other hand, Liam confessed that the life revolution greatly impacted their relationship.

Let me be honest: at that moment, it ruined our relationship, but for the right reasons - he stated in an interview with Manchester Evening News.

In subsequent years, models Naomi Campbell and Maya Henry appeared in the musician's life. He got engaged to the latter in August 2020, after which they split the following June. That was not the end, as they quickly rekindled and got engaged again, but in May 2022, they called everything off and definitively ended their relationship. In October 2023, Henry made serious allegations against her ex-partner in a high-profile TikTok video.

Since our breakup, he sends me messages, calls not only from his phone, but also from other numbers - she recalled. Everything is hidden and swept under the rug. I don't know who the hell is behind all of this, but nothing ever comes out about him.

Maya is the author of the book "Looking Forward," which tells the story of a girl's relationship with a member of a famous music group. Everything seemed perfect, but behind closed doors and away from the cameras, there were allegations of violence, threats, and betrayals that turned her life into hell. Speculation has been rife about whether this reflects her own experiences. Neither Liam nor his then-partner Kate Cassidy commented on the matter, as he had been dating her since October 2022.

Liam Payne's ex-girlfriend accuses him of abuse in the relationship. She demands justice: "everything is hidden and swept under the rug"

Cassidy was the last girlfriend of the musician and had recently been with him in Argentina. Today we know it was their last trip together. However, it was noted that two days before his death, Kate flew back to the United States alone. In a TikTok recording, she explained that their trip had been extended, and she really wanted to return home. She did not explain, however, why the musician did not choose to return with her.

I really wanted to go back. I love South America, but I hate staying in one place for so long. We were supposed to be there for five days, it turned into two weeks, and I really had to go home.