In the wake of an unspeakable tragedy and a devastating loss, one Liam Payne fan has made it her mission to change the music industry – and the law – forever.
Having set up a petition after the One Direction star’s shocking death at just 31, she’s not only committed to honouring the singer’s legacy but ensuring no other artist has to forgo mental health support in showbusiness ever again.
On October 16, Payne, who was catapulted to superstardom as a teen following his stint on The X Factor, died after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aries, Argentina.
As he leaves behind not only his bandmates, fans, and relatives but also a seven-year-old son named Bear, it would be an understatement to say his untimely death has caused heartache.
Payne spoke candidly about his battles with addiction, alcoholism, and agoraphobia throughout his career. Because of this, longtime 1D fan Day decided enough was enough.
Transforming her grief into action, Day launched a campaign to demand better safeguarding for performers in Payne’s honour, as it’s no secret up-and-coming stars have sacrificed their sanity for glittering fame over the years. After a little over a week, more than 120,000 signatures had been acquired.
Chatting to about the campaign for Liam’s Law to be implemented, Day, from the UK, shares harrowing statistics highlighting a need for positive change in the music world as she details her plans to take the movement global.
‘Artists in the entertainment industry are three times more likely to suffer from clinical depression, stress, and anxiety, and 80% of those are aged 18-25,’ she reveals, quoting research commissioned by Help Musicians.
‘It’s crucial to provide support and interventions and hold labels accountable for the mental and physical health of their artists.’
Day set up the petition on Change.org completely alone, but has been rendered emotional by the wave of support from not only fellow 1D fans but also the general public.
Her mission is to ‘be a voice’ for the boybanders who have meant so much to her for over a decade, after Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Harry Styles achieved unprecedented fame at a tender age.
‘I took [Payne’s death] really hard, and I’m still finding it really hard, to be honest. I was trying to channel my emotions somewhere proactive and positive, to make changes and do what Liam would’ve wanted because he was an advocate for mental health and having a care system in place for other artists.
‘That is where my drive is from. I’m doing it for him and making sure his words turn into action because if it comes from his heart, it comes from my heart as well.’
Day has multiple aims, but the first step is getting her petition noticed in Parliament, with MP Mike Woods, whose constituency is home to Payne’s parents, telling The Sun that he is backing a discussion in the House of Commons.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has also expressed condolences to Payne’s friends and family after his death, saying of the campaign: ‘We are very open to discussions, if and when raised, on how artists’ mental health can be better safeguarded in future.’
Following these discussions, Day hopes her policies can be carefully considered and, eventually, written into legislation.
The main aims include label managers acknowledging their duty of care to their artists, assigning mental health coaches to signpost appropriate support, and ensuring the minimum age of participants on reality shows increased from 16 to 18.
She also expresses the importance of artists having autonomy over any kind of therapy they receive, listing in her policies that they should have the right to seek their own professional help if they wish.
Liam’s Law – the main aims
- Labels and managers to have a strict duty of care for their artists in regards to their mental and physical well-being and to be held accountable if breached
- Introduction of early intervention programs to prevent and raise concerns around the mental and physical well-being of artists
- Dedicated coaches and mentors employed for artists to be able to guide and signpost where appropriate through their career
- All labels should have some sort of therapist employed who is responsible for the mental and physical well-being of an artist. Artists should have the right to decline and seek their own professional sources if they wish to
- Increase in the age of participants of entertainment and competition shows to 18
- Extend employee rights to freelancers to ensure the same mental health support, rights, and safeguarding as employed staff.
‘I really want to change the music industry for the better so artists don’t have to enter an industry they’re really passionate about and feel like their mental and physical health will be impacted,’ Day says defiantly.
‘I just want to do right by [Payne] and as long as I’m doing that, that’s all that matters.’
So far, she’s received the backing of thousands of likeminded Directioners and even received signatures from other bands: ‘We fans have always wanted a change in the industry, but for something to be happening and for it to get this level of attention from not only the media but the general public, is huge for us.
‘It’s really overwhelming. I’m so busy right now; it’s blown up out of nowhere, and I need to get all my ducks in a row to make sure I’m doing this right.’
Do not be mistaken, though, as this movement certainly isn’t limited to the internet.
On November 16, campaign days will take place in cities across the world, including London, Manchester, Liverpool, Paris, and New York. Fans will take to the streets in droves to ensure they are seen and heard.
They will show up in solidarity with the other artists who have struggled with their mental health at the hands of a terrifying industry, with fellow X Factor star Katie Waissel and Robbie Williams pleading for better protections after Payne’s death.
While alive, it was no secret that Payne had his demons. Despite overwhelming adoration from millions, the late star confessed that he ‘didn’t like [himself] very much’ and felt that he was ‘wearing a costume’ whenever he went on stage.
The Strip That Down hitmaker once confessed that his 1D heydays were filled with ‘pills and booze’ and ‘moments of suicidal ideation’, prompting him to enter rehab later on.
With such quotes having resurfaced while Argentinian authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding Payne’s death, fans are having to start navigating a future without his presence.
While grief is a notoriously complex emotion to grapple with, one thing is for certain through it all, and it’s that One Direction fans want Payne to have a legacy he can be proud of.
‘I will continue to be a voice for people in the entertainment industry who don’t have a voice,’ says Day. ‘I will not stop until I get what I want.’
At the time of writing, the Liam’s Law petition is approaching 150,000 signatures, and its social channels have thousands of followers — numbers that prove just how desperately the beloved musician’s fans wish for no one else to experience this same grief.