"Left in the lurch"

Osbourne makes serious accusations after Payne’s death

Sharon Osbourne is furious after the death of Liam Payne.

(Bild: Photo Press Service/www.pps.at)

Ozzy Osbourne's wife, Sharon Osbourne, has made serious accusations against the music industry following the tragic death of One Direction star Liam Payne in Buenes Aires, not excluding herself. The 31-year-old was left in the lurch!

Osbourne, who herself was a judge on 'The X Factor' - the show in which Payne celebrated his international breakthrough with One Direction in 2010 - expressed her dismay at his shocking death on Instagram: "Liam, my heart aches. We all let you down. Where was the industry when you needed it? You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world."

The 72-year-old also blames the music industry and its harshness for the death of the musician, who is said to have been dismissed by his label shortly before the fatal fall from the balcony of a Buenos Aires hotel. The police are still investigating the circumstances. Payne is said to have been unconscious, possibly drugged, when he fell into the courtyard and suffered fatal injuries.

Osbourne herself is not shirking responsibility. Through her husband and her television shows, she knows the scene like no other. 

+4

Fotos

Duty of care required
And Sharon Osbourne's words join the criticism of other prominent voices. Boyzone singer Mikey Graham called for stricter guidelines to protect young artists on the X platform (formerly Twitter): "I think it would be a smart move for record companies to have psychologists on hand in his memory from now on, as a duty of care for the vulnerability of their young talent. Fame can be very damaging, especially in today's world. A lot of money. No one to help. Lots of yes-men. No one who is honest."

Fame and alcohol problems
Payne struggled with alcohol problems at a young age. In an earlier interview, he talked about the stresses of fame and how he often felt isolated in hotel rooms. Despite his successes, he suffered from the challenges of the rapid rise to fame, which he revealed in a podcast interview: "I was worried about how low my low would be. No one would have seen it, I was good at hiding it."