Liam Payne spoke candidly about his struggles with fame and mental health in the years before his death.
Warning: This article contains references to suicidal thoughts.
The former One Direction star died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires on Wednesday.
Officials in Argentina have not given any further details about how the singer came to fall from the balcony.
The 31-year-old previously reflected on his life in the public eye and the loneliness and mental health struggles he had experienced on the 2019 Sky show Ant Middleton And Liam Payne: Straight Talking.
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“For some certain circumstances – I’m quite lucky to be here still, which is something I’ve never really shared with anyone,” he said.
“I can’t go too deep into it because I don’t know how I feel myself. I still haven’t made my peace with it, to be honest.”
When Middleton, a former soldier and TV personality, said he had been “on the cusp myself,” Payne replied: “You’ve probably been through the same situations.
“There’s times where that level of loneliness and people getting into you every day. Just every so often, you’re like, when will this end?
“That’s almost nearly killed me a couple of times.”
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Payne posted on social media in hours before death
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Payne said he was “lucky to have really great people” around him to help him through and said it was about “finding a different way to look at it”.
“Like you say, when things start to pile on top of each other, that’s when it can really get you,” he added.
“You’ve really got to change your view about it. There’s only one thing you control in that situation, it’s you.”
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He explained his coping mechanism: “Just get on with it. Just do today.
“Get on with that bit, then there’ll be another hurdle in a few months or a few weeks, or maybe even the next day. You never really know.”
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email [email protected] in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
