A new petition has been launched calling for better safeguarding within the music industry following the tragic death of Liam Payne. The former One Direction star died last Wednesday after falling from the third floor balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and in the days following his passing, his former bandmates have shared touching tributes to the 31 year old. Liam’s ex-partner Cheryl – with whom he shared a seven-year-old son – also posted a heartbreaking statement on Instagram, slamming those sharing details of his death and asking the world to ‘give Liam the little dignity he has left’.
The petition, which as been listed on Change.org, is ‘to implore lawmakers to create legislation safeguarding the mental health of artists within the industry’ and has already surpassed 25,000 signatures in three days. The creator, Day Kv, wrote: “In recent news of Liam Payne’s tragic death as many others, the entertainment industry needs to be held accountable and be responsible to the welfare of their artists. We seek to implore lawmakers to create legislation safeguarding the mental health of artists within the industry.”
In the petition, the creator writes that a law change to facilitate ‘mental health check-ups, adequate rest periods, and the presence of mental health professionals on-set’ would ‘ensure a healthier, safer, and more conducive working environment for artists to cultivate their talents reducing psychological distress’. The petition is signed off with ‘#LiamsLaw’ and has now exceeded 25,000 signatures with fans commenting on the listing to show their support.
At the time of writing, the circumstances around Liam’s death are still under investigation but preliminary autopsy results list that the cause was ‘multiple traumas’ and ‘internal and external bleeding’. In an official statement, the Public Prosecutor’s Office said: “The head injuries were sufficient to cause death , while the internal and external hemorrhages in the skull, chest, abdomen and limbs contributed to the mechanism of death.”
In the wake of the tragic news, a number of celebrities have criticised the entertainment industry, including Sharon Osbourne who was a judge on The X Factor. On Instagram, she wrote: “Liam, my heart aches. We all let you down. Where was this industry when you needed them? You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner? Rest in peace my friend.”
Former X Factor contestants Rebecca Ferguson and Katie Waissel have spoken about their devastating experiences of fame, while Robbie Williams – who discussed the impact of being a teenage celebrity during his Netflix documentary – posted a tribute to the late One Direction singer over the weekend. His former collaborator Guy Chambers has now called for a ban on teenagers in bands, telling The Observer: “I do think putting a 16-year-old in an adult world like that is potentially really damaging. Robbie experienced that, certainly… That was a long time ago, but I don’t see much sign of change. There is not much more real care taken, that I have observed, from people involved in the big television talent shows.”
He added: “I would suggest that people should not be in a boy band until they are 18, and the industry should stick to that, too.”
Our thoughts are with Liam’s loved ones at this tragic time.
