Liam Payne and The Hate Train

Liam Payne and the Hate Train 

‼️⚠️Trigger warning- contains mentions of alcohol abuse, coercive control, emotional abuse and violence ⚠️‼️

Over the past few years Liam Payne of One Direction and solo fame has come under fire on multiple occasions from fans, the media and celebrities alike. He was bullied so much that in 2022 he suffered a relapse in his drinking and ended up checking himself into rehab after a night out with a friend ended with him sporting a bloody nose. Fans of Liam who’ve stuck by his side have worried constantly over him and as we now know, Liam became suicidal after his drunken words on the Paul Brothers podcast were taken out of context and misconstrued to the point where there was a mass unfollowing of Liam. 

Liam stated on the podcast while under the influence of alcohol that he had been abused, lied to and manipulated into re-applying for the X Factor, but people overlooked his genuine comments about how he was once pinned to a wall by a member of their team, in favour of misconstruing his words about how he was promised by Simon Cowell and Co, that a band would be built around him. We know this to be truth because later that year we saw extended footage of Nicole and Simon putting One Direction together and Liam was the first member chosen. However, we also know that the band was created in a boardroom and that the camera footage was all for show. 

What does this prove? Well for one, it proves that Liam was coerced and manipulated into accepting the offer to join the band and was promised that he would be the front man. This isn’t to say that Liam didn’t love One Direction, the other members or the fans, but it shows early on how manipulation tactics were used by Simon Cowell to encourage those five boys to sign the contract from hell. 

Further we have proof from fans who’ve both been present in meetings with people close to Simon that Harry was chosen to replace Liam as One Direction’s front man, from very early on, with one member of Simon’s team confirming to a class full of music management students that Harry was always pegged to be a sex symbol. He was sixteen years old - sixteen and they’d already chosen his role in the band! But what about Liam? 

Liam has the most versatile voice and can sing pretty much anything. He was also the most consistent out of the boys, especially during the X Factor days and early One Direction days, so he was used more to centre the band and keep the harmonies going. Liam was also the responsible one, the so-called ‘daddy’ of the group and this meant he had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders from the moment he joined. Imagine that kind of pressure for a moment -  not only have you been lied to by someone you thought you could trust, but you are also the one held responsible for any misdemeanors, any misbehaviour of four other rowdy teenage boys. 

Liam has spoken out about how this pressure and the pressures of worldwide fame, on top of management pressures caused him to develop an alcohol addiction and that he has been battling this addiction since his time in One Direction is more than admirable. His team should be supportive of his recovery, but have instead stood by and watched as Liam self-destructed on the Paul brothers’ podcast without stepping in, ending the interview or removing the alcohol from Liam’s immediate surroundings. In fact during this disastrous interview, we see Liam look off camera, most likely to where his team are standing before taking a drink. Liam looked nervous and uncomfortable during the interview which is heartbreaking to see. Further, it’s not the first time Liam’s team have plied him with alcohol. Liam was given alcohol during a photoshoot to encourage him to relax and pose virtually nude and he has spoken about the damage this caused to his mental health. 

Liam’s past ‘relationships’ with Maya Hendry and currently with Kate Cassidy both have caused an increasing amount of hate to be slung Liam’s way. Maya has written a fictional book, detailing in her words an abusive relationship with a popstar: one where her main character in the story was attacked with an axe and told no-one would believe the character because the popstar was famous and people loved him. In her fictional novel she uses detailed imagery that alludes to One Direction, and to Liam, but she has stated for the record she and Liam are on good terms. Regardless of the fact that this novel is, in her own words, a work of fiction - people online have taken to hating on Liam again, believing the story to be about him, calling him an abuser and worse.

Most recently though she has come out again and stated that Liam is sexist after a remark made on a recent TikTok by Liam’s current ‘girlfriend’ went viral and caused more people to jump on the Liam hate train, yet again. The comment, directed at Kate was, ‘nice and covered up for once’, which sounds misogynistic but was actually clarified later by Kate as something she’d asked Liam to say. 

Liam and Kate’s relationship is somewhat baffling since Liam was literally days out of rehab when he found himself in Charleston and in a nightclub, plus a sushi restaurant, a bowling alley and multiple other places over the space of thirty six hours. However the nightclub in question was where he allegedly met Kate and fell so madly in love with her that less than two months later he had her initials tattooed on his fingers. 

Kate would also always show up in nightclubs with friends, Liam in tow, and be drinking the entire time which as we know is not an ideal thing for a recovering alcoholic to be around. She has also made fun of Liam and his home, taking fans of Liam on a tour of the gardens and speaking about Liam’s collection of memorabilia with disdain. Further she has on numerous occasions refused to let his hand go in public, holding his fingers in a death grip and grabbing his hand so tightly that it must hurt. She has also grabbed his face and turned it towards the camera, went on a trip to Italy last year while Liam was recovering from a severe kidney infection and made him do a public pap walk while he was still ill. 

Further to that while Liam was in hospital in Italy, fans swarmed her page and were asking for an update about Liam, but Kate was more concerned with what outfit/bag she should use than giving fans an update on her supposed boyfriend, all while she was more than an hour away from him. Many people, myself included, believe that Kate and Maya were both stunt girlfriends, brought in to cover up Liam’s real relationship, but one has to ask his team - why both these women are so toxic and are causing so much hate to be directed towards him? Why has Liam, who is insanely talented, been relegated to touring Europe with his ‘girlfriend’ instead of following up his new single with an album release? When can we expect new music from Liam and why is no one from his team shutting down the discourse around Maya’s book? 

When you’ve had the world hating you, and come out the other side then you show nothing but strength and resilience.  Perhaps celebrities who were formerly friends of Liam would do well to remember how quickly the tide can turn and fans can go from loving you one minute to loathing you the next. People like Lizzo, Ashton from 5SOS, Ashton Merrygold (JLS), Cher Lloyd, Roman Kemp, Greg James, Max Balagio and others should be well aware of how fickle public support and loyalty can be and instead of hating on Liam, should perhaps be asking whether they can support him and find out what’s wrong. 

Life is short and people bullying someone online can result in that person ending their life, especially when the hate is compounded online by being a worldwide celebrity. Many celebrities have ended their lives and while people have every right not to like someone, claiming a person is an abuser and vilifying them online without a fragment of proof could cause that person to end their life. Caroline Flack, was hounded by the press to the extent that she ended her life and the online generation should work together to make sure that no other person feels that suicide is their only way out. 

Bullying others online is so far from okay, because you don’t know what a person is going through. You don’t know what their life away from the screen is like and hating on someone based on a fictional story, a misconstrued comment or because the media tells you to is wrong. Do your own research and remember that media exists to sell a narrative -  so if you are seeing someone thrown to the wolves, ask yourself why? 

Lastly to Liam- I don’t know if you’ll see this and I doubt you will, but if you do, please remember you are loved, you are strong and not everyone believes the lies that are being spread about you. We are in awe of your strength and resilience. Stay strong.

BTC