Louis Tomlinson has sparked a new celebrity feud after accusing Logan Paul of exploiting Liam Payne during a 2022 interview that caused uproar among One Direction fans.
Payne, who died in October 2024 after falling from a third floor hotel balcony in Argentina, appeared on Paul’s Impaulsive podcast two years earlier and made a string of explosive claims about his time in the group.
During the chat, he alleged that one bandmate had “thrown him up a wall” during an argument and admitted there were “many reasons” he “disliked” Zayn Malik.
Payne also suggested that X Factor judge Simon Cowell had “built the band around him”, comments that sparked headlines around the world.
Speaking to The Independent, Tomlinson said he would “forever despise” Paul for the way the interview was handled.
“I f***ing forever despise [Logan Paul], horrible, horrible little f***er,” he said. “That’s also the problem with some of this new ‘media’. I’d like to think most journalists – some journalists – have a duty of care.”
Payne later expressed regret over his comments, describing them as “self-protection” during a turbulent period in his life. “I was so angry at what was going on around me,” he said in 2023.
“Instead of taking a look inwards, I decided to look outwards at everybody else. I took shots at everybody else and that was wrong.”
He went on to thank his former bandmates for standing by him. “The rest of the boys really stuck by me when I needed them most,” he said.
Tomlinson – who recently put out new single Lemonade and is gearing up for the release of his third album How Did I Get Here? on January 23 – has since backed Payne’s claim that Cowell positioned him as the band’s focal point. “It was definitely a role that was assigned to him,” he said. “That is the truth.”
The singer’s remarks have reignited debate among fans about the ethics of influencer-led interviews and the impact viral moments can have on artists’ mental health. “It’s not just about what’s said,” Tomlinson added. “It’s about how people are treated when they’re clearly struggling.”
