Liam Payne has been candid about his tense relationship with one particular One Direction member.

One Direction was the definitive boy band of the 2010s. The musical act, which consisted of Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam Payne, sold over 70 million albums worldwide, and notched an impressive four number one singles between the years 2010 and 2016.

The appeal of One Direction lied in how different each of the five members were, and how convincing they were as a band of best friends who happened to be a mega-famous musical act. The issue was, things weren’t always as easygoing as they appeared on the surface.

Tensions between all five members eventually led to the band’s break-up, but the tensions between two members in particular, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne, apparently lasted for the duration of the band’s history, and were only rectified years later.

Liam Payne Revealed That He and Louis Tomlinson Hated Each Other In One Direction

It’s difficult to imagine the pressure that each One Direction member felt during their time in the band, and most of them have been reluctant to discuss the details that led to their split in 2016, but Liam Payne has been surprisingly candid.

Via: Instar

Payne shocked 1D fans worldwide when he appeared on the Impaulsive podcast in 2022, and told host Logan Paul that he actually hated working alongside Louis Tomlinson for the duration of the band’s history. He claimed that Tomlinson was “rowdy”, and completely at odds with him in terms of behavior and how he conducted himself between concerts:

“Louis was wild. And he wanted to be wild. That’s his spirit. In the band, we hated each other. Like, to come to blowers hated each other. It was close.”

The revelation sent shockwaves through the fanbase, and Payne was widely criticized for taking shots at Tomlinson, who is regularly cited as one of the sweetest members of One Direction.

Louis Tomlinson responded to Payne’s comments during an appearance on The Zack Sang Show, and while he found the whole thing to be “disrespectful” and claimed that Logan Paul was “pushing buttons” to get the salacious answers he wanted, he didn’t deny what Payne said.

In fact, Tomlinson had gone out of his way to avoid discussing One Direction beefs in the past. When he was asked about Payne’s behavior during an interview on the talk show The Project, he made it clear that he had nothing to say:

“It’s just when you mentioned the beef before, it sounded like you were ready to stir some s**t up, that’s all I’m saying.”

Liam Payne Claimed That He Almost Fought Louis Tomlinson During A Show

Liam Payne does not share Louis Tomlinson’s aversion to airing out dirty laundry, and he elaborated on their alleged feud during his Impaulsive appearance.

He told the host that his disdain for Tomlinson came to the forefront during concerts, and on more than one occasion, the two members nearly got into a fistfight:

“We hated each other. Like, to come to blows, hating each other. It was close.”

Payne then recounted a particular instance in which he and Tomlinson were arguing after a show, and that things got so bad between them that the rest of One Direction had to step in and put an end to the situation.

Payne claimed that the argument with Tomlinson stemmed from the fact that he doesn’t “like taking s**t”, and he made it very obvious to his band member, despite failing to go into detail as to how. He then revealed that one member in particular shoved him up against a wall after he got in Tomlinson’s face, though, once again, he refused to specify who.

Louis Tomlinson wasn’t the only member that Payne went after during his Impaulsive interview. He also called out Zayn Malik for being the first person to leave One Direction, dubbing him a “d**k” and claiming that he doesn’t “agree” with Malik’s actions.

The Ex-One Direction Members Became ‘Best Mates’ After Going Solo

Liam Payne maintained that he was comfortable discussing his relationship with Louis Tomlinson because he no longer felt any animosity towards him. In fact, he told Impaulsive host Logan Paul that he and Tomlinson had become “best mates” since One Direction broke up.

The actions of both men have supported this claim. Tomlinson was the subject of the 2023 documentary All Of These Voices, and Payne was seen chatting with his former bandmate after the screening. In fact, E! News claimed that they left the screening together.

Payne told red carpet reporters that it was “massively” important to show support for his friend.

Via: Instar

The positive vibes didn’t stop there. Shortly after the premiere of All Of These Voices, Payne took to Instagram to pen a touching post dedicated to Tomlinson and the years that they have spent together.

He told his former bandmate that he’s “thankful” to have him in his life, and is proud of the work he’s done as a solo artist. He also alluded to Tomlinson supporting him during a difficult period in his life:

“You dragged me out of something so dark I’ve never shared it but your approach is something I admire and aspire to so I can one day do the same.”

Both men have been open to the idea of a One Direction reunion, but they have achieved success as solo artists, and have expressed contentment with being able to give fans their singular vision.

Liam Payne released his debut album, LP 1, in 2019, and despite receiving harsh reviews from critics, it was certified Gold in the United Kingdom. Louis Tomlinson has released two albums, 2020’s Walls and 2022’s Faith In The Future, and both were certified Silver by the BPI.

Given the volatile and nearly violent ups and downs that Payne and Tomlinson’s relationship has gone through over the years, its fitting that they were two of the credited writers on the last One Direction single: 2016’s “History.”

The song is considered by fans to be a look back at the band’s towering success, but the title could just as easily be used to describe the bond that its co-writers share to this day.