AJ McLean Of Backstreet Boys Breaks Silence On Liam Payne's Tragic Death

AJ McLean of The Backstreet Boys is honoring Liam Payne as "a light" in his life following the tragic passing of the former One Direction star, specifically reminiscing about their time together while collaborating on a new Netflix series.

The 46-year-old spoke about Liam's death at LAX, revealing how the two forged a friendship while working on "Building the Band," a music competition show that allows singers to create the next big pop group.

AJ McLean shared that they recently wrapped filming the series, during which time he, Liam Payne, Nicole Scherzinger, and Kelly Rowland worked closely together for six weeks.

AJ, who has faced his own struggles with addiction throughout his career, mentioned that he didn't notice any warning signs while working alongside Liam. However, he acknowledged that the two singers who rose to fame in boy bands, shared "lots of similarities."

"Addiction is a real thing. Fortunately, I came out the other end, but I’m one of few," he told TMZ.

While they never delved into their individual sobriety journeys, AJ revealed that he and Liam often discussed "life," describing the late pop star as "very funny" and a "sweetheart."

At this moment, AJ is reflecting on Liam's former bandmates—Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik. He explained that members of boy bands often develop a familial bond while collaborating together.

While reports claim that Liam told friends, family, and fans that he was sober earlier this year, the pop star was found with drugs in his hotel room. A partial autopsy report later revealed that there were multiple drugs found in his system at the time of death, including cocaine, benzodiazepines, crack, and something called pink cocaine.

Despite its misleading name, pink cocaine isn’t cocaine at all. Featured in a 2022 VICE documentary, this neon-colored substance is typically a mix of MDMA, ketamine, and caffeine. It can also contain other substances such as benzodiazepines, meth, and cathinones.

After learning of his passing, Liam's former One Direction bandmate Zayn Malik shared a touching tribute.

“Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but think selfishly that there are so many more conversations for us to have in our lives," Zayn began via Instagram on Thursday, October 17. "I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life."

He continued, "When I was missing home as a 17-year-old kid, you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know that you were my friend and that I loved. Even though you were younger than me you were always more sensible than me, you were headstrong, opinionated, and gave no f-ck about telling people when they were wrong."

The two had a falling out, and while it is unclear if they reconciled before Liam's passing, Zayn said, "Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, I always secretly respected you for it.”

Harry Styles, who achieved remarkable success in his solo career following the band's split, fondly remembered Liam as someone who "lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve." He described him as "warm, supportive, and incredibly loving."

“His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honor to be alongside him as he did it,” Harry said of his former bandmate. “Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve, he had an energy for life that was infectious. He was warm, supportive, and incredibly loving."

He added, “The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend."

The former One Direction star tragically passed away earlier this week in Argentina after reportedly falling from a third-floor balcony.

As investigations into his death unfold, reports suggest that Liam was under the influence of drugs, exhibiting erratic behavior at the hotel and causing damage before being escorted back to his room. In a 911 call, a hotel receptionist named Esteban described Liam as "off his head in drugs" and urgently requested that an ambulance be dispatched.

It was later revealed that hotel staff made two calls to emergency services, stressing the need for "urgent" assistance for the singer.