Liam Payne fans start petition to 'safeguard artists' amid claims of singer being 'let down' by industry

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A petition demanding reforms in the entertainment industry following Liam Payne's death has garnered nearly 24,000 signatures.

The former One Direction member, who rose to global fame as a teenager with the popular boy band, died at the age of 31 last week due to a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Petition calls for improved mental health support for artists

Liam Payne's death has brought attention to the mental health challenges faced by artists in the entertainment industry.

A petition advocating for laws to "safeguard artists" in the entertainment sector garnered 23,916 signatures over the weekend.

The petitioner, Day Kv, wrote, "In recent news of Liam Payne’s tragic death as many others, the entertainment industry needs to be held accountable and be responsible to the welfare of their artists."

It further read, "We seek to implore lawmakers to create legislation safeguarding the mental health of artists within the industry."

The petition called for "regular mental health check-ups, adequate rest periods, and the presence of mental health professionals on-set, including any ongoing support during their career."

Following Sharon Osbourne's remarks, a judge on 'The X Factor', it is evident that Payne was "let down" by the music industry.

The 72-year-old music manager shared a photo of the singer on Instagram, captioning it, “Liam, my heart aches. We all let you down. Where was this industry when you needed them? You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner? Rest in peace my friend @‌liampayne (sic)."

Boyzone's Mikey Graham has suggested in a social media post that record labels ought to employ psychologists to assist young stars in navigating the perils of fame.

“Rip Liam Payne. Such tragic news,” Graham wrote. “I think it would be a wise move for record companies to have psychologists on their books from now on in his memory as a duty of care for the vulnerability of their young talent."

He further added, “Fame can be very damaging, especially in today’s world. Lots of money. Nobody to help. Lots of yes people. Nobody honest.”

According to Metro, 'The X Factor' star Rebecca Ferguson has called for a parliamentary inquiry into the music industry, seeking enhanced protection for artists. Meanwhile, Katie Waissel who exited the industry, stated that her participation in the show "ruined [her] life."

Internet reacts to petition calling to 'safeguard artists'

After the news about a petition calling to 'safeguard' artists' mental health was reported on the Metro website, readers took to the comments section of the article to express their views on the same.

One person wrote, "Personally I don't agree that there should be a new law passed to protect celebrity mental health. If anything there should be one for everybody."

Another suggested, "This is not a mental health issue, it is an addiction issue which is something that comes about through wrong choices and applies to all young people - famous or not. All people are different but most are addicted to substances real quickly, sometimes after first or second use, and then it becomes a medical dependency which is hard if not impossible to break."

One commentator asked, "I'm sure more people in low paid work, struggling to make ends meet, face far greater issues than multi-millionaire pop stars. Is someone going to start a petition on their behalf?"

"At the end of the day it's all those people that signed the petition that put the pressure on him on the first place. They only have themselves to blame," one reader remarked.

Another claimed, "Off his nut on drugs, that's the problem."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.