Last night, the internet exploded with tributes after news broke about the former One Direction star’s untimely death. In the few weeks before, social media users had been driving a hate campaign against him.
Celebrity deaths typically elicit a strong emotional reaction from fans in digital spaces.
In the case of musicians, their name trends on social media almost instantly while their streaming numbers soar well beyond their average within days.
As news broke about the tragic death of Liam Payne, a member of the highly successful British boy band One Direction, the internet exploded with millions of tribute posts and tweets expressing widespread shock and condolences.
While this response is to be expected – especially for a global star as young as 31 – it’s difficult to ignore what had been taking place on the internet in weeks prior.
Social media had been rife with hate and criticism for Payne, sparked by fresh allegations that he had been harassing and abusing his ex-fiancé, Maya Henry, an American model from Texas.
A mere 24 hours before his death, news outlets reported that Henry’s lawyers had filed a cease and desist letter against Payne to prevent him from contacting her.
Despite some suggesting that Payne’s mental health could be harmed by the sheer scale of hate pouring out from all sides, it did not stop the internet’s most popular accounts from stoking the flames.
wtfff yall were bullying liam payne online for the past few days and now that he passed away yall are suddenly mental health advocates https://t.co/IYp5u0J8xB
In recent weeks, Maya Henry had been promoting the release of her new fiction novel Looking Forward, which she described as a ‘toxic romance, inspired by true events’.
Fans believed she was implying that the storyline was based on her four-year relationship with Liam Payne. Henry took to TikTok to defend herself against internet users who claimed she was lying or exaggerating the abuse she was facing.
This story sparked a secondary wave of online bullying and criticism of Payne, with fans circulating evidence that they believed painted him in a negative light.
In a recent example, fans of One Direction claimed he was ‘attention-seeking’ and ‘trying to steal the spotlight’ by exhibiting erratic behaviour at former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert in Buenos Aires on October 2nd.
Fans labelled Payne as ‘self-centred,’ resurfacing an old podcast where he claimed that One Direction had been built around him. Other clips saw Payne criticising former bandmate Zayn and his family, along with a video of Payne pulling Harry Styles’ pants down on-stage.
These narratives, when combined, accelerated a hate train boarded by internet users in the tens of thousands.
As this was going on, Payne’s ex-fiancé Maya Henry appeared on a podcast called The Internet Is Dead. The episode was titled ‘maya henry on liam payne’s abuse & the one direction fandom’.
During the episode, Henry explained that Payne’s friends had reached out to both herself and her mother ahead of the book’s publication. They warned that ‘this isn’t a good time for him [Payne],’ urging her not to release the book yet.
She explained how Payne’s friends cautioned: ‘If something happens to him, not only are you going to blame yourself, but the whole world is going to blame you.’
The moment Payne’s tragic death in Buenos Aires was made public, Henry’s Instagram account was instantly flooded with comments accusing her of being to blame.
The dangerous behaviour of internet trolls
Not only is this behaviour towards Maya Henry completely disgusting, it is unwarranted.
Blaming women for the tragic, untimely death of their famous ex-partners is wrong and extremely dangerous, but it is not new.
We saw the same thing happen to Ariana Grande after Mac Miller sadly passed away from overdose in 2018, and we will, unfortunately, probably see it again.
Attempting to place blame is not only damaging for the person being accused – as they no doubt navigate the shock and grief that comes with losing someone who was once close to them – but it also promotes the idea that women are entirely responsible for the emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing of their past romantic partners.
This is unrealistic when applied to real life, and risks discouraging women from speaking out about their personal experiences, particularly when it comes to abusive or unhealthy relationships.
Before the comment section on Maya Henry’s Instagram account was switched off, kind words of support were woven in between hateful ones.
People typed messages of condolences, recommending that she disable her comment section to protect her well-being, with others simply stating, ‘It’s not your fault’.
if your first instinct after hearing the news about liam payne is to go attack and blame maya henry then just know that you are a terrible person
We, as extremely distant third-party observers, have no idea what really goes on in the private lives of public figures.
When such conclusions about a celebrity’s death are so swiftly made, it opens the door to a wave of online bullying that is reminiscent of what came before.
Looking at the case of Liam Payne, it would not be ridiculous to assume the hateful internet narratives circulating in the weeks before his death played a part in how things panned out.
Payne had previously discussed his struggles with mental health on a podcast, confessing his addiction to ‘pills and booze’ during the peak of One Direction’s success. He also told the podcast he experienced ‘moments of suicidal ideation’.
That said, it is not surprising now to see many popular social media accounts doing a complete 180 overnight, switching from pushing inflammatory stories to now posting tributes for Payne.
This is, sadly, the way the media monster operates – engagement is king.
That said, fans should know better. Despite the urge to act upon emotion, treading lightly is important, especially as details of the full picture have yet to emerge.
Liam Payne was not just a wildly successful musical artist, he was also a father, a brother, a son, and a friend to those who loved and cherished him.
Now – especially less than 24 hours later – is not the time to be throwing stones.
I’m Jessica (She/Her). I’m the Deputy Editor & Content Partnership Manager at Thred. Originally from the island of Bermuda, I specialise in writing about ocean health and marine conservation, but you can also find me delving into pop culture, health and wellness, plus sustainability in the beauty and fashion industries. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.
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