Robbie Williams shares recent exchange with Liam Payne after 'very similar' experience in the spotlight

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Robbie Williams has shared his thoughts on the pressure of being in the spotlight as he paid tribute to late One Direction singer Liam Payne.

The musician died from multiple traumatic injuries caused by a fall from a third-floor balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was pronounced dead at the scene after emergency services responded to a hotel manager's call about a guest “under the influence of alcohol.” and drug influence” reacted. who “might do something that could endanger his life.” He was 31.

Williams, who rose to fame in the 1990s with boy band Take That and later mentored One Direction X factorshared his last interaction with Payne – an email exchange from June 2022 in which Williams gives the singer advice and tells him he is “proud” of him.

In the email messages shared by Williams, Payne tells the “Angels” singer that his support “means the world.”

“I'm nervous as hell about this but I won't back down, you have my word, wish me luck,” Payne says, to which Williams replies: “F*** yeah… get it… very proud of you. Massive x.”

In the post's caption, Williams began: “How to understand Liam Payne's tragedy?”

“Obviously my initial feelings about his death were the same as everyone else's. Shock, sadness and confusion. And to be honest, as I write these words, I’m still there.”

Williams, 50, went on to say that Payne's struggles with being in the spotlight were similar to his own and that he tried to reach out and support him.

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“At 31, I still had my demons. I suffered a relapse. I was in pain. I was in pain because I was relapsing. I relapsed for a variety of painful reasons. I remember Heath Ledger walking by and thinking, ‘I’m next.’ By God’s grace and/or bad luck, I’m still here.”

Williams, who has long been outspoken about his own experiences with the difficulty of fame as well as alcohol and drug addiction, then listed several lessons people can take from Payne's death, such as: “We don't know what's going on.” what’s going on with us.” “People’s Lives” and “Be Kind.”

“Before we come to a verdict, we have to cut things some slack,” he wrote in all caps. “BEFORE YOU PUT ANYTHING ON THE INTERNET, THINK: 'Do I REALLY NEED TO PUBLISH THIS?' BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY DO. You publish your thoughts for everyone to read. EVEN IF YOU DON'T REALLY BELIEVE THAT CELEBRITIES OR THEIR FAMILIES EXIST.

“They fucking do. SKIN AND BONE AND TERRIBLY SENSITIVE.”

He continued: “The Internet, unfortunately, will continue to be the Internet.” The media, unfortunately, will continue to be media and fame will continue to be fame.

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“However, as individuals, we have the power to change ourselves. We can be kinder. We can be more empathetic. We can at least try to be more compassionate towards ourselves, our family, our friends, strangers in life and strangers on the internet.”

He added that even “famous strangers need your compassion.”

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Williams concluded by calling Payne a “handsome, talented boy” and said his death was a tragic and painful loss not only for his family and friends, but for the rest of the world.

The Take That star sang “She's the One” in 2010 alongside Payne and One Direction bandmates Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. X factor Final.

After the band came third in the competition, Cowell's record label Syco Entertainment hired them as a judge. The group enjoyed international success in the following years and became the first boy band in US chart history to record two No. 1 albums in the same calendar year.