The days leading to singer Liam Payne’s death will be explored in a special by ABC News Studios, which will begin streaming on Hulu on October 24, 2024. The IMPACT x Nightline episode, One Direction: Liam Payne’s Final Days, hosted by Nightline co-anchor Juju Chang, will feature new interviews with people close to Payne.
This will include former X-Factor contestant Mary Byrne, who will share her experience living with Payne and his One Direction bandmates during the 2010 show and their lasting friendship.
Moreover, the episode will also feature interviews with a social psychologist, a One Direction fan, and ABC News contributors Chris Connelly, Kelley Carter, and Megan Ryte. Nonetheless, fans don’t seem too welcoming of this idea as one X user wrote,
“This seems so exploitative.”
Most netizens resonated with the sentiment while others questioned whether this was allowed or not.
“Oh, no! Let's not do this! This is so exploitative!” another X user pointed out.
“IS THIS ALLOWED?!?!” a person commented.
“Almost like this was all pre planned,” a netizen reacted.
Others demanded a boycott of the Liam Payne featured episode as netizens called the set-up ‘insensitive.’
“The body not even on the ground,” a social media user wrote.
“Damn, there wasn’t even a funeral yet,” an online user mentioned.
“Damn they got a special already! So insensitive,” another person reacted.
“Please don’t watch this. Boycot ABC and Hulu,” an X user wrote.
The special's logline highlights Liam Payne's tragic death, referencing "drugs, a trashed hotel room, and a deadly fall." It points to the boy band singer's sudden passing, reigniting concerns about the darker side of fame and questioning how the once-bright star of the 31-year-old faded so drastically.
Liam Payne was in rehab in 2023
In July 2023, Liam Payne recorded a YouTube video to update his fans on his health after spending 100 days in rehab. He shared that he needed to take time for himself, as he felt he had become someone he didn't recognize, and he suspected his fans might feel the same way.
During his time in rehab, Payne had no access to a phone. He admitted that he had been in a difficult state before entering rehab and expressed happiness about being able to step back from life and work. At the time of the video, he revealed that he had stopped drinking and had been sober for nearly six months.
Liam Payne noted that he felt he had a better grasp on life and was focused on being a good father to his seven-year-old son, Bear. He remarked that there was little point in trying to be a dad if he had nothing meaningful to teach, acknowledging that until then, he could only care for and love his son deeply, which he recognized as the most important aspects of fatherhood.
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In a 2019 interview with Men's Health Australia, Payne mentioned that he turned to drinking as a way to cope with his emotions. He highlighted the difficulties of touring, particularly on days when he wasn't feeling mentally well.
He compared his experience to wearing a "Disney costume" before going on stage, revealing that underneath, he often felt frustrated because it was challenging to process what was happening.
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