Liam Payne ‘Lost Complete Control’ Over His Life While in ‘Mega Stressful’ One Direction
Liam Payne spent six years of his life in One Direction. The band reached massive levels of success, building a fanbase that drew comparisons to Beatlemania. While this was happening, though, Payne admitted he began to feel as though he’d lost control of his life. He shared why he felt like his entire life revolved around his role in the band.
Liam Payne said he felt out of control in One Direction
In a conversation on the podcast Table Manners, Payne described his time in One Direction as “mega stressful,” noting that their schedule was grueling. His entire life was centered around the band.
“There’s no stop button,” he said, per Rolling Stone. “You’ve got no control over your life. That’s why I lost complete control of everything.”
He added that after the band broke up, he had to relearn “how to be a person.” When asked about his identity outside the group, he didn’t know how to answer.
“I remember getting to therapy and the guy was like ‘What do you like to do?’ I didn’t know.”
He said that while adjusting to life after One Direction frightened him, he eventually began to think that the band’s breakup saved him.
“I needed to stop,” he said. “It would’ve killed me.”
Liam Payne faced backlash for comments he made about One Direction
In an appearance on Logan Paul’s podcast, Impaulsive, Payne made a number of comments about One Direction that incensed fans. He described his bandmates as coworkers instead of friends, falsely boasted about having the most successful solo debut, and spoke about disagreements.
After backlash, Payne reexamined his remarks.
“My own frustrations with my own career and where I kind of landed, I took shots at everybody else which is wrong,” he said in a YouTube video. “Obviously, I want to apologize for that, in the first instance, because that’s definitely not me. One of the biggest remarks I made was about the One Direction thing … and a lot of self-protection, I suppose, in that moment, more than anything.”
He thanked his former bandmates for their support.
“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. It came across really big-headed didn’t it?”
His bandmates released a joint statement following his death
After Payne’s sudden death this October, the former members of One Direction released a joint statement about him.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” they said, per The Hollywood Reporter. “In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. 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.”
His former bandmates also released separate statements on their social media accounts.
