Backstreet Boys Member AJ McLean Said He Had ‘Hard Conversations’ With Liam Payne

One Direction star Liam Payne died on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, after falling from the balcony of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Argentina. Payne had a troubled past and was open to speaking about the dark side of fame. Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean is quite familiar with the industry, and he offered Payne advice before Payne’s death. Here’s the wisdom that McLean shared with the younger star.

Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean told Liam Payne to surround himself with people who will tell him ‘no’

Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Liam Payne are well-known as the men of One Direction. At the time, the young boys found their way to each other via the U.K. show The X Factor. They quickly found commercial success with their debut album — but the quintet struggled through the darker side of fame. Payne, who died on Oct. 16, 2024, opened up in 2019 about his drug and alcohol addictions while talking to his friend, Ant Middleton.

“There are times when that level of loneliness and people getting into you every day, it’s like, ‘When will this end?’ That’s almost nearly killed me a couple of times,” Payne said.

Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean is all too familiar with the ups and downs of fame. McLean told In Touch Weekly that he offered Payne sage advice about growing up in the music industry and what he needs to do to protect himself.

“He was playing some stuff from his upcoming projects and asking, you know, about mixes and about things like that and just about certain business things about managers and no manager,” McLean said. “I was like, ‘Dude, you know, you gotta do what’s best for you, but don’t surround yourself with people like yourself, surround yourself with people that will actually tell you no, that’s a good group.’”

McLean noted that Payne seemed “receptive” to the advice. He also noted that he had “hard conversations about the business” with Payne and “felt like a proud older brother.”

A former ‘X Factor’ star slammed Simon Cowell after Liam Payne’s death

Katie Waissel appeared alongside Liam Payne on The X Factor in 2010. She released a statement to X slamming the music industry and Simon Cowell for profiting off of young artists and not putting their mental health first.

“There are those who had a responsibility to provide the care and support necessary for the well-being of young artists, but too often, the focus remained on profits rather than the people,” Waissel wrote. “This industry has treated talent like commodities, and the negligence of duty of care has once again led to a heart-wrenching loss.”

Waissel noted that Cowell’s biggest “regret should be the failure to prioritize the emotional and physical welfare of the artists who put their trust in these institutions.”

“Liam, I am so deeply sorry for all that you went through,” she concluded. “Your spirit will live on in the hearts of so many, and your story will continue to be told. The change the industry so desperately needs will come, and we will honor your legacy until it does. Keep singing in the sky, my friend.”

The One Direction member was going through ‘some kind of episode’ before his death

According to a report from Reuters, police “found substances inside the room that at first glance — and pending confirmation from the experts — would be narcotics and alcoholic beverages.” Police also noted that they found the hotel room in “total disorder,” with medications scattered and objects smashed.

“Everything indicates that the musician was alone when the fall occurred, and was going through some kind of episode due to substance abuse,” the prosecutors office concluded.

The report also noted that there was no sign of third party involvement in Payne’s death. “The prosecutor’s office indicated that, based on the position in which the body was found and the injuries from the fall, it is presumed that Payne did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself and may have fallen in a state of semi or total unconsciousness,” the autopsy reads, according to Us Weekly.

How to get help: In the U.S., contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-4357.

For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram