So sad today about the senseless death of someone with so much life left to live. As many have pointed out, Liam was always a vital link holding one direction together. He loved the other boys so much, did so much for them and so much for us. He tethered us to our memories of the band and brought us closer to them through the little tidbits he would divulge in his typical oblivious-seeming-but-also-mischievous-and-intentional way. He wanted us to know them, to love them like he did. He wanted us in on the joke. That was one of his many gifts to us.
Liam was so vulnerable, so honest and endearing and disarming to an almost otherworldly extent. He was searching for a deeper understanding of himself, his joy and pain, and he shared that with us through his art and his music and lyrics. He consistently showed up and shared parts of himself with a world that dragged him for the stupidest and most asinine reasons, while fighting inner demons and the unbearable crushing pressures of the industry and his career. He kept coming back to us, for us, like the doting dad. He knew we couldn’t be left alone for too long.
But now the link is broken, the tether is snapped, and we are more alone than ever. With Liam’s death, we have unlocked a dark, terrifying new level of yearning and loss. It used to be enough to just acknowledge that our faves were out there somewhere, existing on the same timeline. There was comfort in that. I am grieving that loss so bad tonight.
I am so, so sad for the world to have lost the gifts Liam had to share with us. I am sad to think of all the hurt he endured for so long and how it culminated in this tragic event whose details have been smeared across the internet and viewed by millions. I am sorry the world was not gentle enough towards him and that we couldn’t protect him. I miss him more than I imagined and more than I thought possible, and I hope he has finally found peace. 🤍
