Liam Payne Admitted He Worried About His Fate After Childhood Stardom

One Direction broke up in 2016. Liam Payne shared why he worried about what would happen to him in the aftermath of their split.

Liam Payne was a teenager when he joined One Direction. He rocketed to fame in the group and maintained a fan base after they officially broke up in 2016. Payne said that after the band members began pursuing solo careers, he struggled to break some habits he’d formed while in the band. The late singer worried he would end up like other child stars.

Liam Payne said he worried about what would happen to him because of fame

When Payne was in One Direction, his life was a constant procession of recording sessions, tours, and press. He said he felt like he wasn’t in control of his own life.

“There’s no stop button,” he said on the podcast Table Manners (via Rolling Stone). “You’ve got no control over your life. That’s why I lost complete control of everything.”

He said that after the band broke up, he struggled to find order in his life. He began to worry that he would meet a tragic fate, like many other teen idols.

“You’re either going to end up a crazy child star who dies at whatever age, or you’re going to live life and actually get on with it,” he said.

In the end, he said that while he was scared when One Direction broke up, he thought it was the best thing that could have happened to him.

“I needed to stop,” he said. “It would’ve killed me.”

He spoke about his decision to get sober

In 2023, Payne announced that he had been sober for nearly six months and had stayed in a rehab facility for roughly 100 days.

“I just kind of feel like I’ve got more of a grip on life and everything that was getting away from me, I just feel like I’ve got more of a handle on it,” he said in a YouTube video (via People). “I just needed to take a little bit of time out for myself actually because I kind of became somebody who I didn’t really recognize anymore. And I’m sure you guys didn’t either. I was in bad shape up until that point and I was really happy to kind of put a stopper to life and work.”

He said it felt good to be sober.

“It’s good, it’s good to be in this position,” he said. “I definitely don’t need those things anymore. The party’s over.”

Liam Payne died following a fall from a balcony

On Oct. 16, Payne died after falling from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room in Argentina. Hotel staff called the police before he fell, noting there was an “aggressive man” who they believed could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol (per AP).

After the call, Payne fell from the balcony, suffering severe injuries to his head and body. He was 31.

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