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Liam Payne was suffering from a “significant” drug addiction — and surrounded by young staffers keen to get him back on the road and making money, sources told Page Six.
The One Direction star discovered he was dropped by his record label, Universal, just over a month ago, we’re told, and was subsequently let go by his London-based publicist.
“Liam was battling a very significant drug addiction and his treatment, as those who knew him will attest, was not working,” a well-placed industry source revealed.
Things were made even worse by the fact that 31-year-old Payne, who died Wednesday in a tragic fall from a hotel balcony in Argentina, was surrounded by young staffers who were keen for him to go back on the road.
“They were really pushing him to go on the road and back on tour and he was only just out of rehab,” said the source. “How many times have we seen this story, where people are only concerned about making money?”
Executives at Universal, however, were “uncomfortable” about continuing to work with Payne, we are told.
A Universal spokesperson declined to comment.
Another music source added, “The issue is that it’s not just one person responsible for everything, as tempting as it is to blame someone. There are many people involved in working with an artist.”
Payne — who spent 100 days at a rehab facility in Louisiana in 2023 — is believed to have parted ways with his management team in the weeks before his death.
Payne’s 1D bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik/ have all spoken of their heartbreak since his death.
On Friday, Simon Cowell — the mastermind who put the group together in 2010 — said he felt “empty.”
“You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens,” Cowell wrote on Instagram. “Liam, I am devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you.”
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