The Drama Between Liam Payne And His Former One Direction Bandmates, Explained

Liam Payne's sudden death in Argentina sent shockwaves around the world. The pop star rose to fame on the British reality competition show "The X Factor," auditioning solo in 2008 before returning in 2010. That year, judge Simon Cowell made a watershed decision, pairing him with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson to form One Direction. The group quickly captured the hearts of viewers across the country, though they ultimately finished third on the show. However little did the five lads know that they would soon become the defining boyband of the early 2010s.

In the years that followed, One Direction released five chart-topping albums, won countless awards, and sold out arenas globally. With beloved tracks like "What Makes You Beautiful," they racked up several world record titles, even impressively surpassing The Beatles' achievement for the most top 10 debuts on the Billboard Hot 100 among bands.

And yet, the chart-topping group's journey was not without its challenges. Malik abruptly left in 2015, pulling out of their On the Road Again Tour just two months in and hinting in the process that there were severe interpersonal issues behind the scenes. One Direction pressed on as a four-piece, but eventually announced an indefinite hiatus in 2016.

After One Direction's breakup, each member enthusiastically plunged into their own solo pursuits. But as they drifted further apart, cracks in the once close group's dynamics started to show. Zayn Malik, who left first, cited stress and a desire for a normal life as his biggest reasons at the time, but he later revealed on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast that he felt the group was headed for trouble, admitting, "There was obviously underlying issues within our friendships, too. We'd got sick of each other if I'm being completely honest." The late Liam Payne previously shed light on the tension within the band too. 

During a 2022 appearance on Logan Paul's "Impaulsive" podcast, he described a shocking physical altercation with another bandmate, recalling, "One member in particular threw me up a wall, so I said to him, 'if you don't remove those hands, there's a high likelihood you'll never use them again.'" Though the singer held back on naming the individual, the internet quickly deduced that he was probably talking about Malik. Payne also opened up about his fraught relationship with Louis Tomlinson, too, during the expansive chat, admitting they "hated each other" at times during their many years together.

Payne also competitively claimed that his debut single, "Strip That Down," had outsold the solo efforts of all his One Direction peers. Fans online were quick to dispel this idea, with some even sharing screenshots to X, formerly known as Twitter, of both Harry Styles' and Malik's songs outperforming his by over a billion Spotify streams. Payne also publicly slandered Styles' work to Music Choice, confessing, "It's not something I'd listen to."

The members of One Direction may have had their ups and downs, but they undoubtedly formed an enduring bond through it all. After Liam Payne's contentious podcast comments, the "Familiar" hitmaker quickly took to X to clarify his feelings about Zayn Malik, in particular, acknowledging, "Listening back maybe I didn't articulate myself as well as I could have." He later added, "I was saying that there will always be things we disagree on but that I will always, always be on his side. That's family. Zayn is my brother and I will stand by him forever." 

When Payne fell off a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, in October 2024, he was actually in the country supporting former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan, whose concert Payne was spotted at earlier that month. Hours after the news broke, Harry Styles' mother, Anne Twist, shared a broken heart emoji to Instagram and captioned her post: "Just a boy." Simon Cowell, meanwhile, having masterminded 1D's initial success, postponed auditions for "Britain's Got Talent" when he heard the news as fans around the world mourned the cherished pop star.