“Behind the Backlash: Fans Blame Simon Cowell for Liam Payne’s Struggles as #JusticeForLiam Takes Over Social Media”
- Simon Cowell faces criticism as #JusticeForLiam trends online.
- Fans blame Simon Cowell for prioritizing profits over artists’ mental health.
- Liam struggled with isolation and alcohol during One Direction’s fame.
Simon Cowell has been facing backlash after Liam Payne’s sudden death, as the X hashtag #JusticeForLiam trends
Image credits: Dave Hogan / Getty
My heart is completely torn to shreds right now, I am at an absolute loss for words. If Simon Cowell dare put a statement out on the heart wrenching, tragic loss of my dear and darling friend Liam, he would be a fool. We all know the truth… and I’ll be sure it all comes out.…
— Katie Waissel (@katiewaissel24) October 16, 2024
Because Simon was a massive part in how One Direction was managed, fans have pointed fingers at the The X Factor judge for mistreating the 31-year-old into addiction.
In an Instagram post from one week ago, Simon shared a video of himself, captioning it, “Happy birthday to me! Thank you for all of your kind messages. Love, Simon.”
His comment section has since been flooded with accusations from the past 24 hours.
Image credits: Simon Cowell
“You better not even mention his name,” said one person.
“Totally guilty, the damage you did to those children is unspeakable. Liam left because of you. The industry is bad and it’s sh–t,” another wrote.
Someone else said, “IT’S ON YOU,” while one user stated, “It’s your fault.”
Many claim that Simon played a role in many of Liam’s struggles during his One Direction days and even after the band broke up in 2016
Image credits: David M. Benett / Getty
In a conversation with Men’s Health Australia in 2019, Liam shared that the group’s fast rise into the spotlight had a disorienting effect, and left him feeling isolated at times. He frequently resorted to alcohol as a way to deal with the pressure, which he said was detrimental to his mental health.
