Liam Payne's mentor Robbie Williams reveals his last exchange with late singer in emotional tribute

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: British pop musician Robbie Williams, who served as One Direction's mentor on 'The X Factor', paid tribute to Liam Payne who died on Wednesday, October 16, after falling from a hotel's third-floor balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The former Take That member addressed his relationship with Payne following his death, noting that the two of them went through comparable "trials and tribulations" two days after the singer's unexpected death at the age of 31.

Robbie Williams addresses mental health issues while paying tribute to Liam Payne

The 'Angels' singer posted an emotional message on Instagram on Friday, October 18, two days after Payne's death, along with an email conversation he had with the late singer two years ago.

Williams also shared a lovely text conversation that the two of them had after they first met in 2010 when he was One Direction's coach on the 'X Factor'.

"How to make sense of the Liam Payne tragedy?" he began the Instagram post. "Obviously, my first feelings towards his passing were like everyone else. Shock, sadness and confusion. And to be honest as I write these words that’s where I still am."

Despite stating that he is "fond" of all One Direction members, the 50-year-old found a similarity in Payne over the years as they both battled sobriety and limelight, reported E! News.

"I met the boys on The X Factor and 'mentored' them. I use the word mentored in inverted brackets cos I hardly did anything to be honest. I just hung out with them. They were all cheeky and lovely," Williams wrote.

Williams has previously been rather forthright about his struggles with mental illness, including his history of anxiety and depression. In 2023, Payne—who has been transparent about his alcoholism—also declared that he completed treatment.

The 'Feel' hitmaker stated that "it made sense to reach out" to Payne a few years ago and "offer what I could" because his "trials and tribulations were very similar to mine."

"Our paths have crossed ever since that day and I’m fond of them all. Liam’s trials and tribulations were very similar to mine, so it made sense to reach out and offer what I could. So I did," Williams wrote.

Williams shared the heartbreaking tribute along with an image of the 2022 text messages in which Payne thanked him for his support. Payne acknowledged that he was "nervous as hell" during the conversation, but assured Williams that he wouldn't back down.

"Thanks man that means the world," read an email signed "Liam" in June 2022. "I'm nervous as hell about it but I won't back out you have my word. Wish me luck."

Williams replied to the email by saying he was "very proud." He said to Payne, "F**k yeah. Go get it."

Considering Payne's previous hardships, Williams emphasized in his Instagram post that "WE DON’T KNOW WHATS GOING ON IN PEOPLE’S LIVES" and "WHAT PAIN THEY’RE GOING THROUGH AND WHAT MAKES THEM BEHAVE IN THE WAY THAT THEY BEHAVE."

He continued, "I still had my demons at 31. I relapsed. I was in pain. I was in pain because I relapsed. I relapsed because of a multitude of painful reasons."

"As individuals though we have the power to change ourselves," Williams said, urging people to be kind in the midst of terrible tragedy. "We can be kinder. We can be more empathic."

Williams concluded the post by saying, "What a Handsome Talented boy. What a tragic painful loss for his friends, family, fans and by the looks of the energy this moment has created - The World."

Robbie Williams and Liam Payne struggled with addiction and mental health issues

Robbie Williams has previously been quite honest about his history of anxiety and depression as well as his ongoing struggle with mental illness.

He reflected on his "insane" fame at the peak of his career, which led to a "nervous, mental breakdown in front of thousands of people" in his 2023 Netflix documentary, reported Daily Mail.

Williams battled agoraphobia from 2006 to 2009 and was confined to his home for three years due to his social anxiety disorder.

He previously revealed that he entered a rehab facility in 2007 after using "heart-stopping" amounts of prescription medications, speed, acid, heroin, and cocaine.

Payne, on the other hand, was candid while discussing how One Direction's worldwide success affected his life and his connection with drugs and alcohol, saying, "I don't know if I've hit rock bottom yet."

"I was worried how far my rock bottom was going to be. Where's rock bottom for me? And you would never have seen it. I'm very good at hiding it," Payne admitted in a 2021 interview with Stephen Bartlett on the 'Diary Of The CEO Podcast'.

"I don't even know if I have hit it yet. I can either make that choice now and pick my last moment as my rock bottom or I can make a whole new low," he said at the time.

He talked about how being a part of a boy band put pressure on his mental health and how he had struggled for years with "social anxiety" and "stress" from being famous.