Liam Payne petition calling for new legislation following star’s death amasses 25,000 signatures
A petition has called for legislation to protect artists’ mental health. (Getty)
A petition calling for new legislation following One Direction star Liam Payne’s death has attracted almost 25,000 signatures.
Payne died after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday (16 October.) He has been staying in the country to watch former bandmate Niall Horan perform.
The 31-year-old star was reportedly behaving erratically, with hotel staff claiming he appeared to be under the influence of “drugs and alcohol” and was found “trashing the [his] room.”
A change.org petition in honour of the singer, titled “Enact legislation to safeguard artists’ mental health in the entertainment industry”, has now been signed by close to 25,000 people.
Featuring the hashtag “Liam’s Law”, the petition calls for the entertainment industry to be “held accountable” and “responsible” for the welfare of its artists.
“We implore lawmakers to create legislation safeguarding the mental health of artists within the industry,” it says.
It calls for a new law to include regular mental-health check-ups, adequate rest periods and the presence of medical professionals on-set to ensure mental wellbeing.
The petition follows Sharon Osbourne sharing a tribute to Payne in which she said he was “let down” by the music industry. Payne first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008, at the age of 14, before returning two years when he became part of One Direction.
Meanwhile, Guy Chambers, who co-wrote hits such as “Angels” for Robbie Williams, has called for teenagers not to be put into boybands until they are 18, to protect their well-being.
One Direction fans slammed “vile” trolls who left comments mocking Payne’s death in the Google reviews section of the hotel.
Celebrity tributes have continued to pour in, with singer Ed Sheeran urging people to “be kind”, and former Take That star Williams wrote: “Liam’s trials and tribulations were very similar to mine, so it made sense to reach out and offer what I could.”
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