It has been almost a year since Liam Payne’s tragic death, and Louis Tomlinson is opening up about the tragedy in his upcoming interview on The Diary of a CEO podcast. During the conversation, he also opened up about the sweet post his fellow former One Direction bandmate posted for him before deleting it due to criticism and ridicule from fans.
⚠️SPOILER ALERT⚠️ (for those who don’t want to know until they watch it themselves) but here’s the part where he called out those vile people who bullied Liam. He even knows how we have Liam’s post screenshotted.
“very small percentage of people but they make a lot of noise” 🙁 https://t.co/UsPOXdqEGv pic.twitter.com/bQgQLjdzs0
In an excerpt [SPOILER ALERT] shared by @roxx_rxn on X from the much-anticipated soon-to-be-released episode of the podcast, the Miss You singer addressed Payne’s since-deleted note for him, saying,
There’s another great example of this, of where the f—–g internet is just a horrible place at times. He put up, and luckily I know someone with a screenshot because he deleted it. But he put up this beautiful post after my premiere for this documentary, like an essay, a f—–g essay. Like, stuff that he has never said to me before. It was like the sweetest, nicest, f—–g sh-t.
Continuing, he then touched down on why the Teardrops singer ended up deleting the post within a few days: Because “the fans were just caning for it.” As Tomlinson explained, with the frustration about the matter evident from his voice:
About two days later, he deleted it. Because the fans were just caning for it. Just saying that he was, like, the bandwagon, kind of. You know what it’s like; it’s a very small percentage of people, but they make a lot of noise. And sometimes, it’ll push you to a point of even deleting the post.
At the same time, Louis Tomlinson also pointed out that the incident served as a reminder of just how caring and selfless Payne was, never hesitating to put himself second in front of the people he loved. The Back to You singer said,
But that being an example of him just really putting himself second, really trying to share with the world how proud he was of me. And the end goal was more ridicule.
For those who might not know, Payne died on October 16, 2024, after falling from the balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The postmortem details revealed that he died from multiple traumas and internal/external hemorrhaging due to his fall, with toxicology tests finding traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his system. He was only 31 (via BBC News).
What Was Liam Payne’s Deleted Post on Louis Tomlinson About?
This goes back more than two years, dating back to March 2023, when Louis Tomlinson’s smash-hit British documentary film, All of Those Voices, made its way to the screens. It detailed the English singer-songwriter’s personal journey of transitioning from a member of the fan-beloved boy band One Direction to a splendid solo musician.
At the time, Liam Payne was one of the celebrities to publicly express just how proud he was of his ex-bandmate’s career journey. He reunited with Tomlinson at Cineworld Leicester Square on March 16, 2023, to show support for the documentary, with the two spotted together, chatting away happily following the film’s screening.
Both of you are the best of the world. Look at him, Liam are so proud of you ❤️🩹 pic.twitter.com/3LSx2Jd4eh
Following the premiere, the Midnight singer penned down a heartfelt message about his former bandmate on his Instagram, writing about the documentary (via PEOPLE):
Seeing the world through your eyes last night was the most beautiful thing to experience. My neck hurts from how much I’m looking up to you right now. You were already my friend and brother but getting to look through that window into your world and mind just extends that respect I have for you.
He then wrote how he was “sorry I was so out of my mind and I didn’t do better for you,” given some of the things that Tomlinson had “dealt with” and “held inside.” Expressing his regret about the same, he wrote,
I feel ashamed in those moments to not be as good of a friend as you have been to me, at least I have time now and I’m me again so will try and make amends. I’m emotionally drained watching the movie and I only did an hour and a half, you lived it and I’m so proud of how you did it not only with amazing music but with passion and the will to get up off the canvas every time life beat you down and fight back.
Payne proceeded to then express his gratitude to the Walls singer, hinting in his tribute about his deeply personal struggle and how Tomlinson helped him out through his dark times. Payne said,
I’m so thankful to have you in my life mate I feel so lucky and I know you know this but you were part of a small group of people that literally saved my life, you dragged me out of something so dark I’ve never shared it but your approach is something I admire and aspire to so I can one day do the same.
Finally, he concluded his post by congratulating his longtime friend on “every sight you get to see, every cheer that you hear, and all the love you are receiving from the world.” Payne closed,
You worked harder than any of us to get here and now the world gets to see that from your side… guys go watch the movie, please he deserves it and you’ll learn a lot about yourself from this very special man.
As heartwarming as that message was, Tomlinson made sure to express his gratitude to his fellow bandmate for writing down such a wholesome, tear-jerking note for him. Taking to his X handle @Louis_Tomlinson, he wrote,
Special thank you to Liam for being there for me. It means the absolute world. Love you lad!
Unfortunately, though, the negative reaction that he received from the internet trolls eventually had Liam Payne taking down that incredible note that he evidently wrote from the bottom of his heart for his co-Through the Dark singer, as Louis Tomlinson shared.
Louis Tomlinson Also Reflected on Liam Payne’s Death
Besides getting candid about the post Liam Payne shared in his praise, Louis Tomlinson also opened up about the tragic demise of the fellow One Direction member in The Diary of a CEO podcast interview. He recalled the moment he learned about Payne’s death from another ex-bandmate, Niall Horan, when he was “in the car, in L.A.”
He then expressed how he “had the same feeling that I had with Félicité,” referencing his late sister, who also unexpectedly passed away very young in March 2019, aged 18. Sharing his regret, Tomlinson said (via PEOPLE),
And I think anyone has this when they’re around someone who’s struggling — my 150% wasn’t nearly enough. That’s when it’s my own arrogance thinking that I could have helped, really, because it was so much deeper than what I could have done for him. [Payne] was definitely struggling at that time in his life.
Payne’s struggles with substance abuse, as well as all those other controversial allegations against him, leading to traumatic issues, are no news, and Tomlinson, for one, felt he could have done a better job at helping his friend out of the dark phase that he was going through.
Yet, as heartbreaking as it may be, it feels like Tomlinson is continuing to hold fond memories of his late close friend, keeping him close and living “one life for the two of us.” After all, the loss of Liam Payne will forever burn a harrowing hole in the hearts of all the Directioners worldwide.
What do you think about this story? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.
Louis Tomlinson’s episode of The Diary of a CEO was released in a one-night-only premiere event shown in select US Regal cinemas on October 8, 2025. It will be posted on all streaming platforms (YouTube, Spotify, etc.) at 8 AM GMT on October 9, 2025.
