Allegations have emerged that Liam Payne, a member of the X Factor winning boy band One Direction, was struggling with his sexuality before his death last year.
The 31-year-old fell to his death from the third floor of a Buenos Aires hotel in October 2024.
In an in-depth cover story for Rolling Stone,聽multiple sources claim that Payne “wrestled with his sexual identity, compounding his struggles and leading to risky behaviour.”
鈥淟iam struggled with his sexuality,鈥� one source told the publication. 鈥淒uring his relationship with Maya [Henry], he sexted men.鈥�
In the public eye, Payne dated Danielle Peazer from 2010 to 2013, and childhood friend Sophie Smith from 2013 to 2015.
In 2016, Payne started dating Cheryl Cole, who had been a judge during his time on The X Factor. In 2017, the pair had a child, Bear.
From 2018 to 2022, he was in an on-again-off-again relationship with writer Maya Henry, who alleges instances of abuse in their time together.
While Henry declined to answer specific questions from Rolling Stone for the feature, she issued a written statement.
鈥淚 knew there were parts of himself he was struggling with 鈥� parts of his identity he wasn鈥檛 ready to fully face, even within our relationship,” she said.
Fans condemn “outing”
Fans, many of whom are still reeling after Payne’s death, have shared their thoughts on the story, and the allegations it contains.
“NO ONE deserves to be outed, not even in dead [sic],” one user on X. “Liam Payne‘s sexuality was, is and will never be our business! That was not for Maya or Rolling Stone to share, sexuality is the most private thing a person will experience.
“now idgaf about liam payne but why rolling stone just publish that struggled with his sexuality鈥�. let him rest in peace oh my god it is not your business to out a dead man,” said .听
Payne never identified as a member of the queer community, nor are there any public instances of him dating men.
He was accused of fetishising bisexual women after the release of his 2019 song Both Ways,聽which included lyrics like My girl, she like it both ways/She like the way it all taste/Couple more, we’ll call it foreplay/No, no, I don’t discriminate.
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