Robbie Williams Honors Liam Payne, Tries to ‘Make Sense’ of Tragedy: ‘I Still Had My Demons at 31’

Robbie Williams paid tribute to One Direction’s Liam Payne, sharing a note that both honored the late singer and tried to, as he wrote, “make sense” of the tragedy.

On Instagram, Williams said that when he first heard the news that Payne had died after falling from his third-story hotel room, his feelings were of “shock, sadness, and confusion.” He added: “And to be honest as I write these words that’s where I still am.” 

Williams recalled meeting One Direction on The X Factor when he “mentored” them — a term, he explained, he put in quotes because “I hardly did anything, to be honest. I just hung out with them. They were all cheeky and lovely. I enjoyed the light hearted piss takery and thought about all the times I was that cheeky pisstaker with the Popstars that had gone before me when I was in Take That.”

Williams went on to note the similarities between himself and Payne — from his own massive boy band success in Take That to his struggles with addiction. “Liam’s trials and tribulations were very similar to mine, so it made sense to reach out and offer what I could. So I did,” Williams wrote. (His note was accompanied by what appeared to be an illustrated rendering of an email exchange the two shared in June 2022, right around the time Payne alienated 1D fans with a controversial interview with Logan Paul.)

“I still had my demons at 31,” Williams wrote. “I relapsed. I was in pain. I was in pain because I relapsed. I relapsed because of a multitude of painful reasons. I remember Heath Ledger passing and thinking ‘I’m next.’ By the grace of god and/or dumb luck I’m still here.”

Williams took the opportunity, too, to remind everyone that there’s still so much we don’t know — and may never know — about what Payne was dealing with. He also cautioned against snap judgments, especially when it comes to posting things on the internet. And while the internet, the media, and fame will “carry on,” Williams said, he added that individuals have the ability to change — to be “kinder,” “more empathetic,” and “more compassionate towards ourselves, our families, our friends strangers in life, and strangers on the internet. Even famous strangers need your compassion.” 

Williams closed with a few sentences for Payne, writing: “What a Handsome Talented boy. What a tragic painful loss for his friends, family, fans and by the looks of the energy this moment has created – The World. Be Kind.”

Williams’ message follows tributes form an array of people around the music world, including Maggie Rogers, Rita Ora, Charlie Puth, Halsey, and Camila Cabello. Payne’s One Direction bandmates — Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan — have also shared messages both individually, and as a group.