Megyn reflects on the tragic death of Liam Payne and the dangers of fame at a young age – Megyn Kelly

Former One Direction signee Liam Payne was found dead in Buenos Aires on Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony. He was 31 years old.

After gaining international fame as a teenager as a member of the boy band that placed third The X Factor In the UK, Payne spoke openly about his struggles with drugs, alcohol and mental health. Megyn was on Friday’s show The Daily Mail Maureen Callahan discusses Payne’s tragic death and the pitfalls of becoming famous at a young age.

Payne’s death

According to the Associate PressA Buenos Aires police statement said Payne fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur hotel in the Argentine capital and suffered “extremely serious injuries.” Paramedics confirmed his death at the scene.

The tragedy followed a series of 911 calls obtained by the AP in which hotel staff said they had “a guest overcome by drugs and alcohol” and “destroyed the entire room.” They asked the police to “please send someone.”

Pictures from the singer’s hotel room show a broken television screen and what appears to be drug paraphernalia on the floor. The AP reported that packages of clonazepam (a central nervous system depressant), energy supplements and other over-the-counter medications were found among his belongings.

Payne’s rise to fame

Authorities have not yet confirmed whether Payne died by suicide, but he has been open about struggling with suicidal thoughts in the past. “How many times have we talked about the downsides of young fame and fortune before these kids really come to grips with it and everything that comes with it,” Megyn asked. “Even the success stories are full of tension.”

After trying out as a soloist twice, Payne was 16 years old when he was accepted into the group One Direction by Simon Cowell and his fellow judges The X Factor. Together with Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, he became one of the most successful boy bands of all time, selling around 70 million records.

One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016, after which Payne launched a solo career. With Jessie Ware Table manners In the 2019 podcast, the singer spoke about the toll the experience took on him. “There is no stop button. You have no control over your life. That’s why I lost complete control of everything,” Payne told Ware. “I had to stop. It would have killed me.”

As a member of One Direction, he admitted he had a hard-partying lifestyle and used up all the alcohol in the hotel minibars when checking in. There have also been a number of turbulent relationships with women for the star, who leaves behind a seven-year-old son who he shared with his ex Cheryl Cole.

Raise children properly

According to Megyn, Payne’s death is another reminder that there is no good in childhood fame. “Huge fame at a very young age is a devil,” she said. “It is not a blessing, it is a curse, and one should avoid, avoid and protect against it at all costs.”

Callahan said these tragedies often show how lonely fame can be. “I think how isolating it must be because everyone looks at him like he has everything you want,” she noted. “He has looks, he has fame, he has money, he has talent and inside he feels empty. And how many people will really understand that? It almost increases the pain.”

That’s why Megyn believes it’s so important for children to grow up in a family with strong values. “Dr. Leonard Sax, a parenting expert, always says: More time with family, more dinners together at the dinner table, don’t worry about time with friends,” she shared. “The period from zero to 18, when they are still in your home, is your time to make your moral, ethical and loving impression.”

This process cannot be accelerated. “Now is the time to form the character he or she needs to excel in his or her chosen profession,” she concluded. “Everything before that is playing with fire.”

You can watch Megyn’s full interview with Callahan by tuning in to Episode 921 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you want to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (Channel 111) weekdays from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, reach out 988 Lifeline for Suicide and Crisis by dialing 988 or visiting 988lifeline.org