Liam Payne Opens Up About Addiction During Time In One Direction

One Direction - Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Harry StylesBBC Music Awards, Earls Court, London, Britain - 11 Dec 2014

Content Warning: This post details struggles with prescription drug and alcohol addiction as well as suicidal ideation.

Liam Payne‘s time in One Direction wasn’t always what it seemed. The singer and entertainer, 27, opened up about some of the darker moments in his life during an interview on Steven Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO podcast. During the exchange, Liam recalled a photo of himself partying on a boat, referring to that moment as his “pills and booze phase.”

The singer went on to share that his “face was 10 times bigger than it is now. The problem was, the best way to secure us was to lock us in a room, and what is in the room? A minibar.” Due to the environment and scrutiny of fame at a young age, Liam found himself abusing substances more often, adding that this harmful pattern carried “on for years.” And the addiction impacted Liam in the worst way.

Members of One Direction, from left, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan, wave during an event to promote their film “One Direction: This Is US,” in Makuhari, near Tokyo [Shutterstock].

When asked by the host if he grappled with suicidal ideation, Liam admitted that there were details about his struggle he’s never publicly disclosed. “There is definitely some stuff I have never spoken about to do with it,” the singer revealed. “It was really, really severe.” During the interview, however, Liam revealed that he’s been sober for “just over a month.”

This isn’t the first time that Liam has publicly disclosed his struggles with addiction. In 2019, the singer shared with The Guardian there “was a point where every day, you didn’t know whether it was going to be the end. It was so touch and go, at every single show. I was slowly losing the plot.”

Liam Payne at the 74th British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London on April 11, 2021 [Shutterstock].

Liam has undoubtedly endured a lot of change since One Direction seemingly disbanded in 2015. Since that time, Liam has built a solo career, but is still dealing with personal pitfalls, sharing recently that his engagement to Maya Henry had come to an end. In the same podcast episode, Liam shared, “I’ve just not been very good at relationships. I know what my pattern is with relationships at this point. I’m just not very good at them. I need to work on myself first before I put myself onto somebody else.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse and their mental health, reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).