In the early 2010s, One Direction was everywhere.
From going on tour to selling realistic dolls, this boy band had a strong grip on their fanbase. The band broke popularity records, including being the first group to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 charts with their first four albums.
When the group disbanded in 2016, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam Payne each started solo careers.
With 50 million records sold internationally before their hiatus, there is no doubt that the boy band left an impact on Gen-Z. So, it was no shock that the internet was flooded with posts when the news of Liam Payne’s passing was released on Oct. 16.
Before Payne’s tragic death, his ex-fiancé, Maya Henry, came out with information regarding their relationship from 2018 to 2022. This put Payne back in the public light after seemingly not being talked about since the “One Direction years.”
Henry shared allegations of abuse and manipulation she suffered while they were together on her TikTok account @mayahenry on Oct. 6. The now-deleted TikTok post gained traction and internet users took it into their hands.
Videos of the band resurfaced and with people claiming that they showed how none of the other boys liked Payne. These tweets and TikTok videos spread around the internet like wildfire.
During the weeks following Henry’s media appearances and statements, the topic gained traction with some denying what Henry alleged and others beginning to criticize the singer’s past actions. Then, the singer was pronounced dead, and the internet exploded with opinions.
“this man chased maya henry with an axe and y’all up here talking about ‘it’s 11 year old me that’s mourning’ do y’all not hear yourselves?” tweeted X user @sithberrie on Oct. 16.
When his death was announced, both news sources and the general public were quick to post about it. While some people expressed their condolences to his friends and family, many people online started discourse about how to treat a celebrity with allegations after death.
Some argued for the need to see the full picture.
“I just hope people don’t turn this into a ‘this is what bullying does’ thing [because] he definitely deserved to be called out for all his inappropriate actions.” tweeted X user @koralinadean on Oct. 16.
While many of the comments posted are exaggerated and most likely for views, the discourse sparked over Payne’s death can come across as disrespectful and desensitized.
Liam Payne isn’t the only celebrity that has gotten this treatment. From Prince to David Bowie to XXXTentacion, people on the internet have posted with no remorse or with continued criticism because of a problematic action after their death.
Some people suggest that it would be better not to give them any attention rather than going for personal attacks online, but others argue that it is deserved even after death.
However, the death of beloved Gen-Z icons creates a new set of issues.
Even problematic, commonly desensitized news sources went too far with Payne’s death. TMZ posted pictures of Payne’s dead body outside the hotel in Argentina but eventually took them down after receiving criticism.
There are many contradicting opinions on how to react to a problematic celebrity’s death. Some people claim to be glad by the news because of his past actions. Other people have accepted that he did bad things and will still mourn the loss of a celebrity from their childhood.
For celebrities that rose to fame with the internet supporting their careers, their wrongdoings are broadcast. Payne’s death is one of the first examples of a star dying whose legacy was documented on the internet.
When we are privy to a star’s personal and public life, grappling with opposing dimensions of the star’s personality is difficult.
Gen-Z is learning to grapple with mourning a canceled celebrity.
