Opinions and Editorials Section
By Addison Burke, Sports Editor
The world was shocked on Oct. 16 when the news broke about the death of former One Direction member Liam Payne. The news of his death was made even more startling through TMZ’s release of a partial image of his deceased body lying on the ground.
It is still unknown whether his death was accidental or intentional. Regardless of whether he was a famous ex-boy band member or not, an image of his dead body should never have surfaced for millions of people to see across the world.
Payne was well known by millions of fans because of his time in One Direction, and his death came as a gut-wrenching surprise to anyone who listened to the band’s music.
Since One Direction’s official breakup in Jan. 2016, congenially labeled a hiatus, Payne has been the center of some negative attention — not because of his solo career, but because of some things he has said. In 2022, on a podcast with Logan Paul, Payne said that the band was built around him and that he was the face of the group. Fans were outraged by this, but in actuality, it was a true statement, especially during the band’s time on the X-Factor.
One Direction performed at Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Australia in 2012, when the band was making their debut as One Direction. Liam Payne claimed he led the group to success, with much of the public attention falling on him because of this statement.
Payne first auditioned for the British show X-Factor in 2008 at age 14 and made it through the first two rounds before being eliminated. He returned for another audition two years later at 16, and when One Direction was formed that season, the show’s production team focused heavily on him as he started nearly every song while also singing most choruses.
Most notably, Payne has been in the spotlight because of his relationships. He dated X-Factor judge Cheryl Tweedy, whom he first met when he was only 14. They dated when he was 22 and she was 32. They had a son, Bear, in 2017.
In 2019, Payne’s relationship with Maya Henry was made public. They were engaged twice, first in 2021 and then again in Aug. 2022, but their relationship permanently ended in May 2022.
This past May, Henry released a novel that many saw as a fictionalized version of her relationship with Payne. She even once stated that the book was partly based on her own experiences and eventually said that the main character, Oliver, was based on Payne and his behavior toward her.
The book, “Looking Forward,” follows the relationship of characters Mallory and Oliver, a former member of the band 5Forward. What stands out most in this novel is the verbal and emotional abuse from Oliver, who readers believe was based on Payne.
There’s been evidence of Payne’s mental health struggle dating back to 2012, which he has been very open about with fans. Therefore, there has been a lot of speculation stating that his death was in part due to mental illness.
During the days before his death, Payne had been facing incessant backlash and bullying from people online over his behaviors from his relationship with Henry. She had posted multiple TikToks about his abusive behavior during and after their relationship. The world may never fully know what happened between the two, but they will always find a way to create narratives about celebrities.
Victims deserve to be heard, and there is no doubt about that. At the same, the perpetrator should not be bullied so intensely that they resort to drinking so much and consuming copious amounts of drugs that it leads to their death from a third-floor balcony.
We live in an age where the importance of taking care of one’s mental health is greatly stressed, but we don’t always include celebrities’ mental health in the discussion.
Liam Payne’s death calls us to think about what we say online and the impact it can have on the targeted person. His death also brings into question how news of someone’s death is shared with the world. The image of someone’s dead body should never be shared — ever.
I never envisioned I would hear about the death of a member of One Direction until I was at least 70, but instead, that day came about 50 years too soon. Even if you don’t agree with someone else’s actions or words, please be kind. There is a difference between holding someone accountable for their actions and harassing them endlessly online. Payne’s girlfriend, family and son don’t deserve to be going through this pain when there were options to help him rather than bully him endlessly.
