Liam Payne Apologizes For One Direction Criticism, Says He’s Six Months Sober

Liam Payne formally apologized in his new YouTube video “I’m Back…” for the comments he made during Logan Paul’s podcast Impaulsive in May 2022 and explained why he’s taken a year-long break from the public eye.

He released the video with the caption, “Wow it’s been a while right? Thanks for sticking by me 🖤”

He started off the video by explaining that he took a break. “I just needed to take a little time out for myself actually because I kind of became someone who I didn’t really recognize anymore and I’m sure you guys didn’t either,” he said. 

This personal realization was “one of those life-changing moments that saved my life in a way.”

He apologized for the hurtful remarks he made on the podcast.

“I’m not gonna let anybody else take any blame first of that I said,” he explained. “I was so angry at what was going on around me and instead of taking a look inwards, I decided to look outwards at everybody else.’

He remarked that he was “frustrated” with how his career was going and the comments were “a scramble to say relevant.”

When he rewatched the podcast and received backlash for his words, he admitted that it made him “cringe” and that he felt the whole situation was “a big L.” 

Payne noted that despite what he said, all the members of One Direction, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, have been supporting him through this tough time. 

“The rest of the boys have really stuck by me and when I needed them most they, you know, kind of came to the rescue,” he said.

He then detailed his journey of rediscovering who he is and getting back to being the person he wants to be. He didn’t say where he went, but only suggested he “had to go away to get better.”

The facility helped him remember why he loves music and focused on his mental health, which “put a stopper on life and work.” This included taking away his phone for “nearly 100 days”  where he “didn’t connect with the outside world at all.” 

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Payne revealed that the hardest part of this entire experience was actually “turning the phone back on.” 

After he came back from rehab, Payne attempted to reconnect with friends and attended a few events. He added that since a Hans Zimmer concert, he has been six months sober as he feels he “definitely doesn’t need those things anymore,” adding “party’s over.”  

Payne ended the video on a high note asserting, “It’s great to be back… and I’m hoping from here on out I can kind of make the content you guys wanna see.”