This is sad, but all too predictable. Drug addiction and mental illness often conspire to end in death. On Wednesday, Liam Payne, 31, fell from his hotel balcony in Argentina. Moments earlier, hotel staff complained he was behaving erratically, appearing “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol.” His ransacked room only supported their claim. But Payne’s well-known mental issues will forever fuel speculation about whether he fell or jumped.
That said, Payne seems destined to be more famous in death than he ever was in life. But let’s be honest — he was no Harry Styles. Put another way, it’s like Lance Bass dying today, and everyone acting like we lost Justin Timberlake. The flood of condolences seems performative. And thanks to social media, nothing shows how heartbroken fans are quite like posting selfies in front of Liam’s shrine.
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