Liam Payne's Mental Health Petition Sparks Backlash: 'Where Was This Energy for Britney Spears?'

In the wake of Liam Payne's death on October 16, fans have now called for a new law called "Liam's Law" to be enacted. However, not everyone is on board.

The law would enact certain safeguards in place in order to ensure that an artist's mental health remains good.

According to the Change.org petition, the law would "necessitate regular mental health check-ups, adequate rest periods, and the presence of mental health professionals on-set, including any ongoing support during their career. It will ensure a healthier, safer, and more conducive working environment for artists to cultivate their talents reducing psychological distress."

"This would also include early interventions to protect and minimise before it's too late. Furthermore, the increasing rate of musicians who die before the age of 35, is concerning," it continued.

The petition has gone on to get nearly 94,000 signatures since it began on October 18. Despite this, there are critics of the law who claim that action like this should have been in place for other artists like Britney Spears, Chappell Roan and Whitney Houston.

"So Britney spears? Amy Whitehouse? chappelle roan? or is it just bc its a man," commented one person on social media.

"They should have done it using Amy Winehouse / Britney Spears / Chester Bennington / Avicii story," commented another person.

"Y'all had Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston but yes make the white male abuser the face of mental health in the music industry, ew," shared someone else.

Another X user pointed out the hypocrisy of trying to protect an artist like Payne while coming after Roan for setting boundaries with fame and speaking on the dark side of it.

"And just weeks ago ppl were attacking Chappell Roan and telling her to 'be grateful and just get used to it' about dealing with the cons of fame such as social anxiety and other mental health issues. Now they all of a sudden wanna act like they care about celebs' mental health," shared one user.

Roan has long been open about her struggles with fame since her career skyrocketed this year.

"The vibe of this — stalking, talking s--- online, [people who] won't leave you alone, yelling at you in public — is the vibe of an abusive ex-husband," she told The Face.

Her difficulties with fame has also led the singer to cancel her appearances at several festivals including All Things Go, where she cited things have become "overwhelming" for her.

"I apologize to people who have been waiting to see me in NYC & DC this weekend at All Things Go, but I am unable to perform. Things have gotten overwhelming over the past few weeks and I am really feeling it," she said.

"I feel pressures to prioritize a lot of things right now and I need a few days to prioritize my
health. I want to be present when I perform and give the best shows possible. Thank you for understanding. Be back soon xox," Roan added.

Payne died on October 16 after falling from a third-story balcony in Argentina. It was revealed that he was on several substances at the time of his death, including pink cocaine.

Tags

Liam Payne, Britney Spears, Chappell Roan