Liam Payne's Rollercoaster Public and Private Life Laid Bare: From 'X Factor' Turmoil to Romances With Cheryl and Naomi Campbell
We go inside Liam Payne's rollercoaster public and personal life.
Oct. 22 2024, Published 8:00 p.m. ET
Liam Payne lived a tumultuous life before his tragic death at age 31.
RadarOnline.com can reveal an inside look at the former One Direction member's beginnings on X Factor to his relationship with Cheryl Cole and Naomi Campbell.
Payne died after falling from his hotel room's third-floor balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16.
Payne died after a fatal fall from a third-floor hotel balcony.
Toxicology results revealed he had a deadly mix of illegal substances in his system at the time of his death, including "pink cocaine" – a combination of ketamine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy – as well as benzodiazepine, cocaine, and crack.
Payne was previously open about his battle with substance and alcohol abuse as he struggled to cope with his fame from an early age.
His career began when he auditioned for X Factor at age 14 in front of judges Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue, and Louis Walsh, as well as his future-ex and mother of his child, Cole.
Payne was axed from 'X Factor' twice before being recruited for the show's boy band, 'One Direction'.
He made it past the first round but was cut in the boot camp phase. While Cowell brought him back for the judges' house stage, he was axed for a second time.
Cowell advised Payne to audition again in two years, at which he point the former American Idol judge recruited him for X Factor boyband One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan.
Despite fans quickly taking to the boy band, Payne and his bandmates were eventually eliminated from the show; however, Cowell signed the group to his label, Syco Entertainment.
Payne began dating former 'X Factor' judge Cole in December 2015.
The ensemble's debut single, What Makes You Beautiful, skyrocketed to the top of the charts globally and they proceeded to sell millions of copies of their first album, Up All Night.
The group released their fourth and final album together, entitled Four, in 2014. Malik left the group shortly after. Payne and the remaining members released another album a year later before going on an indefinite break.
Payne recalled the devastating impact of Malik's exit in a 2015 interview, sharing: "I think with Zayn’s particular exit and the way he chose to go, we haven’t really heard from him since he left.
"He didn't even say goodbye, if I am being honest. It was a really sordid scenario, from our side certainly. A bit strange. It's difficult."
After his split from Cole, Payne was inolved in a four month fling with Naomi Campbell.
Meanwhile, Payne was romantically linked to ex-girlfriend Cole, who is 10 years his senior, in December 2015. The former couple took their relationship public in 2016 and welcomed their first and only child together, son Bear, in March 2017.
They split in 2018 but remained on good terms while co-parenting their son.
He later said having Bear "ruined their relationship but for all the right reasons".
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A year after splitting from Cole, Payne was romantically linked to supermodel Campbell, who is 23-years older than him.
Their unusual romance began with flirtatious comments and likes on Instagram before spiraling into a four-month fling. Payne described the model as "perfection in a person" while she doted on him for being a "beautiful soul".
Campbell was said to call the romance off after she became "bored" of Payne.
Payne was dating influencer Kate Cassidy at the time of his death.
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