Brave Liam Payne’s heart breaking battle against his demons: How One Direction star checked into rehab weeks ago to try and get his life back on track – as Cheryl joins the world in paying tribute

Liam Payne went to rehab a few weeks ago in an attempt to get his life back on track, but tragically left after just two days.

The One Direction star, who died in Argentina on Wednesday, had secured a place at The Priory, an addiction and psychiatric hospital in south-west London, at the end of July.

The Sun reported that the 31-year-old signed up for their 28-day addiction therapy program to finally conquer his demons for his son Bear, 7, and his family.

But the £5,000-a-night facility proved too much for Payne and he checked out after just 48 hours as sources claimed ‘he barely left his room’ and ‘didn’t attend a single class’.

A source who spoke to The Sun claimed that: ‘Family and management did everything they could. Liam was loved, adored and incredibly talented. But he just couldn’t defeat his demons.

‘It got so bad that the management begged him not to drive last year, it was dangerous. Relatives hid his keys, but he just bought another car.

“There is some comfort in his loved ones knowing that he was aware of how much everyone supported him. He confronted his problems, hoping to get back on track.”

The singer was pronounced dead at the scene after falling from a height of 13 meters from the balcony of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires.

Tributes to the pop star have poured in from millions of Payne’s friends and fans, including the mother of his child Cheryl Cole.

The Girls Aloud singer previously dated him for two years, with the pair welcoming Bear Gray into the world on March 22, 2017.

The grieving mother opened up on Instagram about her fear as she tries to “navigate this earth-shattering event.”

Her statement read: “As I try to navigate this earth-shattering event and process my own grief during this indescribably painful time.

“I would like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being.

‘Liam wasn’t just a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a good friend and a father to our seven-year-old son.

‘A son who now has to face the reality that he will never see his father again.’

Before his sudden death around 5pm (ART), the pop star attended his former bandmate Niall Horan’s tour of the Latin American country.

A heartbreaking video shows Liam Payne singing and dancing during the concert with his current partner Kate Cassidy.

After the performance, much to the delight of fans, he posted a photo with Niall on Snapchat with the caption: ‘Reunited.’

Kate also broke her silence following his tragic death earlier tonight. She took to Instagram to express her grief, telling her followers, “I’m completely lost,” “nothing feels real.”

The 25-year-old wrote that she will love her “angel” for “the rest of her life,” adding the tribute “444,” which is considered an angel number in numerology.

Kate and Liam first started dating in October 2022 and made their red carpet debut at the Fashion Awards later that year.

Just days before his death, Kate shared a touching message dedicated to the singer.

The blonde beauty snapped a photo of the pop star riding on horseback in the countryside. Liam was seen in a casual gray T-shirt as he sat on the horse and spoke to someone who appeared to be helping him.

Kate captioned the photo: “I’m very grateful for the simple things in life.”

Before the singer’s death, he had looked at a final Snapchat post in which he happily posed with Kate as they looked in the mirror. A photo originally taken last August.

In a joint statement released last night, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Harry Styles said they were ‘completely devastated’.

“In due time, and when everyone is able, there will be more to say,” they said.

“But for now, we will take time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, whom we loved dearly.

“The memories we shared with him will be cherished forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and the fans who loved him alongside us.

‘We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam – Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry.’

Liam began his quest for fame when he first auditioned for the X Factor in 2008.

At just 14 years old, Liam impressed the judges with his own version of Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon, but was later eliminated from the show.

However, Payne gave his singing career another chance by auditioning for the competition again in 2010, where he quickly rose to fame as part of One Direction.

He and his former bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson were brought together by Simon Cowell and former judge Nicole Scherzinger who saw their potential as a group.

After just a few weeks of getting to know each other and rehearsing non-stop, the group impressed Simon at their audition at Judge’s Houses and sailed through to the live shows.

The pop Svengali later admitted to Rolling Stone that it took him “about a millionth of a second” to discover the group’s global potential.

The fan response was also immediate, with 1D hysteria quickly overshadowing the show. Despite the adulation, the band eventually finished in third place on the X Factor, but shortly afterwards Cowell sealed their fate by signing the five-piece to a £2 million Syco contract.