Liam Payne opened up about previously hitting rock bottom in the years leading up to his death.
Payne found fame as one fifth of One Direction, a boyband formed on The X Factor that went on to achieve worldwide success.
Police confirmed that the 31-year-old had died yesterday after falling from a third floor balcony at the CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
When the band went on an ‘indefinite hiatus’ in 2016, Payne pursued a solo career which was also successful. According to Billboard, the ‘Get Low’ singer garnered three billion in radio audience for his songs and 897 million on-demand US song streams.
But amidst the fame that came with his music career, Payne was struggling with his mental health.
He opened up about his battles on a handful of occasions and chatted to Steven Bartlett on his The Diary Of A CEO podcast about hitting ‘rock bottom’.
“I was worried how far my rock bottom was going to be,” Payne shared.
“Where’s rock bottom for me? And you would never have seen it. I’m very good at hiding it.”
Liam Payne discussed his mental health battles to Steve Bartlett in 2021 (The Diary Of A CEO/YouTube)
The continued to say in the 2021 interview: “‘I don’t even know if I have hit it yet. I can either make that choice now and pick my last moment as my rock bottom or I can make a whole new low. That’s my choice.”
One thing in particular that Payne struggled with was social anxiety, as well as dealing with the ‘stress’ that came with fame.
Elsewhere in his chat with Bartlett, he credited the people around him for helping him during his mental health struggles.
“I’ve definitely put a strain on a lot of people in my life,” Payne shared.
Becoming emotional, he said: “I don’t like talking about it.”
He continued: “I think it’s just hard as hard for the team around you at certain points as it is for you because we didn’t all know how the hell we got here.
“[…] There’s always someone that will pull you through. I’ve been very, very fortunate now with the people that I had to pull me through my bits.
“That’s why I say this care system is so important.”
While the days and hours leading up to Payne’s death remain unclear, his cause of death has been ruled as him having died of ‘multiple traumas’.
Elsewhere emergency services stated earlier today that the singer died instantly from his injuries, which included a fractured skull.
The singer is survived by his seven-year-old son, Bear.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or you can webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.