Liam Payne bravely opened up about his struggles with fame and addiction before his tragic passing at 31 on October 16. Reflecting on his time with One Direction during a 2021 episode of The Diary of a CEO?podcast, he shared how he hit ¡°rock bottom¡± and grappled with alcoholism and suicidal thoughts.
He candidly shared his concerns about hitting rock bottom, questioning, ¡°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.¡± He acknowledged the seriousness of his struggles, recognizing that he needed to make a change after viewing unflattering photos of himself, referring to his appearance as ¡°bloated out¡± and describing it as his ¡°pills-and-booze face.¡± He admitted, ¡°I just didn¡¯t like myself very much.¡±
Liam described how the pressures of fame frequently resulted in feelings of isolation, noting that ¡°the best way to secure¡± him and his bandmates was to confine them to a room, which naturally included a minibar. He admitted to turning to alcohol as a coping mechanism, stating that at one point he thought, ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to have a party for one.¡±
He elaborated on how the pandemic exacerbated his drinking habits, stating that the downtime was ¡°the worst thing in the world for¡± him. He reflected on how easy it was to conceal his struggles during virtual meetings, mentioning that ¡°there were no boundaries,¡± which allowed him to easily hide being ¡°a little bit tipsy¡± while on Zoom.
Despite these challenges, Liam found solace in the support of his friends, especially his bandmates. He shared a poignant moment when Harry Styles reached out to check on him, noting that some people seem to have a sixth sense for when someone is struggling.
After his demise, various celebrities like Charlie Puth, Paris Hilton, Harry Styles¡¯ mom paid tribute to him on their social media.
Liam¡¯s journey is a poignant reminder of the importance of mental health awareness and the need for open conversations about struggles we face, especially in the public eye.