Liam Payne's bid to get help as he checked into rehab weeks before tragic death

The One Direction star had previously been open about his 'severe' battle with booze and drugs

Liam Payne had checked into rehab just weeks ago in a courageous attempt to overcome his struggles with addiction, it has been reported. The One Direction star had reportedly entered The Priory in London in late July, seeking to conquer his long-standing battles with substance abuse.

However, he abandoned the 28-day Addiction Therapy Programme after 48 hours. The Wolverhampton-born star, tragically lost his life after falling from his hotel balcony in Argentina on Wednesday.

He was just 31 years old. A source told The Sun: "He gave it a go at overcoming his addictions once and for all. He really wanted to get his life on track."

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The source added that his loved ones had been 'rooting for him' but were dismayed when he left after two days.

Liam had previously been open about his alcohol abuse and drug problems. In 2023, he opened up about having spent about 100 days in rehab and that he was six months sober in a YouTube video.

While traveling the world for the On the Road Again tour, Liam told The Guardian in 2019: “Doing a show to however many thousands of people, then being stuck by yourself in a country where you can’t go out anywhere — what else are you going to do?” Payne told the outlet. “The minibar is always there.”

Liam later admitted during an interview on “The Diary of a CEO” podcast that “I didn’t like myself very much” at the beginning of One Direction. He said his early days with the boy band including “pills and booze” and “moments of suicidal ideation.”

“There is some stuff that I’ve definitely never spoken about,” he admitted at the time to USA Today. “It was really, really, really severe. It was a problem.”