Liam Payne’s young staff were eager to get him back on the road

Liam Payne was suffering from a “significant” drug addiction and surrounded by young employees eager to get him back on the road and make money, sources told Page Six.

The One Direction star discovered that his record label, Universal, just over a month ago, we’re told, was subsequently let go by his London publicist.

“Liam was battling a very serious drug addiction and his treatment, as those who knew him will testify, was not working,” a well-placed industry source revealed.

It was made even worse by the fact that Payne, 31, who died in a tragic fall from a hotel balcony in Argentina on Wednesday, was surrounded by young employees who wanted him back on the road.

“They were really pushing him to go on the road and go back on tour and he had just gotten out of rehab,” the source said. “How many times have we seen this story, where people only care about making money?”

Universal executives, however, were “uncomfortable” about continuing to work with Payne, we’re told.

A spokesman for Universal declined to comment.

Another music source added: “The problem is that it’s not just one person responsible for everything, as tempting as it is to blame someone. There are a lot of people who work with an artist.”

Payne, who spent 100 days in a Louisiana rehab facility in 2023, is believed to have parted ways with his management team in the weeks before his death.

Payne’s 1D bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik/ have spoken of their heartbreak since his death.

On Friday, Simon Cowell, the mastermind who formed the group in 2010, said he felt “empty”.

“You never know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens,” Cowell wrote on Instagram. “Liam, I’m devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I shed is a memory of you.”