Sharon Osbourne has been praised for her stark message following the death of Liam Payne.
Liam, 31, tragically died this week after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The singer rose to fame after being put together with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson on The X Factor in 2010.
Sharon was a judge on the ITV talent show for seven years and made a guest appearance on that series, as she helped Louis Walsh at the judges’ houses phase of the competition. Sharon declared the music industry had failed the star following the tragic news of Liam’s death.
As reported by the Mirror, she said he was “just a kid” when he entered “one of the toughest industries in the world.” Taking to Instagram Sharon, 72, wrote: “Liam, my heart aches. We all let you down. Where was this industry when you needed them? You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner? Rest in peace my friend.”
Followers heaped on praise for Sharon for sharing her message as one said: “This is probably the most honest thing anyone could say. A lot of respect. So sad.” Another added: “Finally a bit of honesty. So so sad.. young lad with his whole life ahead of him. Demons beat him. Hope he is at peace now.”
Someone else commented: “Never have I EVER read truer words written.” A fourth wrote: “Not the industry finest hour but this just does highlight the very big issues with young people being thrown into fame too young with very little support from the people who should be there to protect them. Well done Sharon O for bringing this to the forefront yet again but sad that a very talented young man had to pay the consequences.”
A fan shared: “@sharonosbourne your message is truly honest and I respect you for that. Others will hide and bury their heads! It’s about time the industry took some responsibility for looking after the young ones.” One simply put: “Correct Sharon, he was let down.”
Liam previously said he struggled with alcoholism at the peak of his success, describing hitting “rock bottom” to The Diary Of A CEO podcast host Steven Bartlett. He admitted his addiction to alcohol continued during the Covid pandemic, but in 2023 he posted a YouTube video confirming he was almost six months sober after nearly 100 days in a US rehab facility.
In a statement signed “Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry”, Liam Payne’s One Direction bandmates said: “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.
“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
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