We need to talk about Liam Payne from One Direction

The hope that One Direction will actually get back together must now be collectively given up, because it's not going to happen. I was really too old to be a diehard Directioner, but to be honest: I thought they were really great. Still do, by the way. And yes, I believed that they had become the best of friends and were having the time of their lives. I didn't really follow the rumors that Harry and Louis were secretly in a relationship (or do the Larry's still believe they will get together?), but when Zayn left, that whole what-they-were-good-friends-dream really fell apart.

But still, they all seem quite grateful for this opportunity, otherwise they would never have had a solo career like this. Harry Styles is really doing well with his solo career, Niall is just enjoying golf and occasionally has a hit, Louis had a bit less luck with quite a few lawsuits because he wanted to leave his old record label, Zayn has had some private drama, and then we have Liam. Liam Payne, who during One Direction was seen as the dad of the group. Yes, him. We need to talk about him.

Because could anyone have predicted that he would have the least success? In fact, that he would become a problem case? Privately, things went a bit differently: his relationship with Cheryl Cole fell apart and he hardly sees their son Bear, but he found love again with Maya Henry, whom he had known since she was seventeen, but that has recently ended as well; she found out via social media that he was cheating with a girl who is now his girlfriend. Messy, messy, messy.

But what struck me most is how he behaves in interviews. For example, he was asked on the red carpet what he thought of The Klap during the Oscars (no idea why his opinion on that really matters, but okay) and he acts a bit… Weird. Just take a look for yourself.

In the comments, they are sure: this is a pure coke user. But aside from his strange behavior: what does he actually say? And how? That English accent has been replaced by a bizarre combination of American English, British, and… Welsh? Moreover, the content of his sentences is also not worth writing home about. In just over two minutes, he actually says nothing. But hey, my interest was piqued.

This led me to the interview that Liam Payne did with Logan Paul (also a rather problematic character), which was released online yesterday. And I had just mentioned messy, but oh boy: this interview is messy. If you still have a glimmer of hope that One Direction will get back together, you might as well not read further or watch the interview.

He talks about Zayn Malik, his former bandmate, and his upbringing. It apparently wasn't very pleasant and that would also be the reason why Zayn isn't a very nice person. Side note: Zayn has never said anything about his upbringing (in fact: he bought a house for his mother with the money from One Direction) and I don't think it's up to Liam (who clearly is no longer friends with him) to air Zayn's dirty laundry.

He also mentions that they were really not the best of friends behind the scenes. Far from it: with one band member (he doesn't say who), he even got into a fight and was, according to him, thrown against the wall. No, One Direction were not friends among themselves. The band that, as he also mentions in this interview, was formed around him during The X Factor, the very first of the band. Hm-hm.

But he also shares something about his private life (and son Bear): he takes him to school one or two times and ‘every time he says he is so surprised to see me’. No idea why he mentions that as something to be proud of, I find it rather sad.

Just like this interview, I also find that sad. For all of us as One Direction fans. That reunion is really not going to happen.