Liam Payne Reportedly Texted THIS Pussycat Doll Alum On Day Of His Passing: 'She Mentored...'
A former X Factor judge and Pussycat Dolls singer was reportedly texting Liam Payne on the day of his tragic passing, remaining in contact as a longtime mentor to the One Direction star.
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Liam Payne reportedly exchanged messages with a former X Factor judge on the day he passed
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The Pussycat Dolls alum had mentored Payne since his early career with One Direction
Trigger Warning: This article contains references to an individual's death.
Nicole Scherzinger, best known for her role with the Pussycat Dolls, was reportedly in touch with One Direction star Liam Payne on the day of his tragic passing. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, who is currently working with Scherzinger on the Broadway production of Sunset Boulevard, shared this information in an interview published Thursday.
According to Webber, Scherzinger had remained close to Payne as a mentor and was exchanging messages with him shortly before she received the news of his death.
Andrew Lloyd Webber spoke candidly about the connection between Payne and Scherzinger, talking about her role as a mentor to the young star.
“I suppose something that hasn’t been said, and I suppose I could say, is that of course she mentored Liam from One Direction,” Webber shared in the Billboard interview. He then disclosed that Scherzinger had been texting Payne the very day he passed away, October 16.
“She was still texting him that day,” Webber continued. Scherzinger reportedly learned of Payne’s passing only shortly before she was set to perform onstage in her leading role for Sunset Boulevard. Webber said, “The fact that she even did the show at all is extraordinary. I mean, she is an amazing, amazing woman.”
Scherzinger and Payne’s connection began in 2010 on the reality talent show The X Factor UK. At the time, Scherzinger was a judge alongside Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh, and it was under their guidance that One Direction was formed.
Scherzinger was instrumental in bringing the band together. Behind-the-scenes footage released in 2022 showed Scherzinger pitching the idea of combining Payne and four other contestants, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan, into a boy band instead of eliminating them.
“They’re just too talented to get rid of and they’ve got just the right look and the right charisma on stage,” Scherzinger commented at the time. She said that they’re like little stars. You can’t get rid of little stars. You put them all together. Her vision led to the creation of One Direction, which went on to achieve phenomenal global success until the band’s hiatus in 2015.
Shortly before Payne’s passing, he and Scherzinger had reportedly collaborated on a new project for Netflix, titled Building the Band. In this unscripted series, Scherzinger acted as both judge and mentor, drawing from her experiences on The X Factor.
The series wrapped production in August, and it is anticipated to provide fans with a look into the process behind forming successful musical groups.