drug addiction,
The tragic One Direction star — who fell to his death off a hotel balcony in Argentina on Oct. 16 while apparently under the influence of drugs — had ODed a few years ago, a close source revealed.
Payne – who was a close friend of Edward Enninful, the former editor of British Vogue, at a party hosted by Vogue and Tiffany in London in February 2023.
Another senior music insider said they had been told Payne had overdosed at least twice in the past.
The close source, who has known the singer since his days in the chart-topping British group, told how Payne’s friends and former colleagues were also “shocked” when his manager signed him up for Netflix show “Building the Band” alongside Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland – as he was just out of rehab.
“His manager pushed him to do the show and there were a lot of worried texts exchanged between us,” said the source.
“We were shocked, there was no way he was in any shape to do this.”
Payne with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, who left Argentina just days before he tragically died.
“Liam had, in the last few months, become very isolated by a new group of people away from [those] who cared for him and who’d been trying to help him for a long time.”
As Page Six revealed, Payne, who was just 31 at the time of his death, was being looked after by a new manager who had inserted himself into his life — and wanted him to go back on tour.
Payne signed up for new Netflix show, “Building the Band” with Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland weeks before his death – despite having just left rehab.
Payne was 31 years old at the time of his death.
Another well-placed source who knew Payne alleged, “Liam’s manager moved him to Miami and away from all of his friends, he isolated him.”
In the months before his tragic death, Payne had moved in with girlfriend Kate Cassidy, who has since revealed they were planning to marry and talking about their future together. She had left Argentina just two days before his tragic fatal accident.
Scherzinger was one of the X Factor judges who helped form One Direction, joined by Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh.
The source added Payne’s life had sadly gone downhill after 1D went on hiatus back in 2015 and he had been dealing with drug addiction for several years.
“He was heartbroken and never really recovered,” the source added. “He was lost without his brothers,” referring to bandmates Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.
Payne had filmed the Netflix show earlier this year and had continued texting with Scherzinger —currently starring on Broadway in “Sunset Boulevard” — after the filming was complete.
One Direction became one of the world’s biggest-selling boybands of all time after finding fame on the X Factor.
The pair first met in 2010 when she was one of the “X Factor” judges who formed One Direction. In an emotional Instagram post after his death, she celebrated the love and passion for music they both shared, as well as his “kind heart, sweet soul and character.”
It’s not yet known what will happen to the Netflix show footage.
The series comes from Remarkable Entertainment, the producers of the NBC hit “The Wall,” which is part of Banijay UK.
Devastated fans congregate outside the Casa Sur Hotel where Payne died in Buenos Aires on October 16.
Friends and loved ones now question whether Netflix and the producers sought medical advice before signing up Payne, as it was well known that he was suffering from mental health and addiction issues, we’re told.
“Did Netflix and producers have any professional advice, if so, from whom, to verify that he was in a fit state of health mentally and physically to film the series,” one friend of Payne’s asked.
Netflix declined to comment for this story.
The stash of drugs found in Payne’s bedroom at the Casa Sur Hotel in Argentina.
Payne fell to his death from the balcony of his hotel room earlier this month. His body has yet to be repatriated to the UK.
However, a source close to the UK production said Liam was a guest judge on the show and didn’t appear in all episodes and that he found the experience so fulfilling he wanted to continue working with the bands after the production.
As we revealed, Payne, a father of one, had recently been dropped by his record label, Universal, and his London-based publicist.
The star’s body is still in Argentina, where his father, Geoff Payne, is waiting to bring him back to the UK for burial.
However, we’re told the autopsy is taking longer than expected as the drugs the singer consumed are believed to have been cut with other unknown substances.
If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).