Liam Payne’s Death and Backlash Against Maya Henry: Why Women Face Unjust Criticism in Tragic Situations

Following the tragic death of Liam Payne, his ex-fiancée Maya Henry faced unjust online abuse, with many blaming her for his demise. HZ explores the troubling trend of women being unfairly targeted and scapegoated in the wake of men's tragedies, reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes.
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Former One Direction member Liam Payne tragically passed away on October 16 after a fall from the balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires. As with many high-profile deaths, Payne’s personal life was quickly thrust into the spotlight. Soon, interviews with his ex, Maya Henry, surfaced on social media, where she spoke about how Payne allegedly troubled her even after their breakup. Following this, Henry became the target of online harassment, with users flooding her Instagram with hate comments, accusing her of being responsible for Payne’s death.

The aftermath of the couple’s tumultuous relationship had already seen its share of public allegations and legal disputes, but the unwarranted blame and vitriol directed at Henry, a woman — for an event entirely outside of her control — is unfortunately not a rare occurrence.2

HerZindagi explores the troubling trend where women are often unfairly targeted or blamed in the wake of a man’s misfortune, reinforcing damaging stereotypes that hold them responsible for the emotional or tragic downfall of their male counterparts.

Liam Payne and Maya Henry’s Troubled Relationship

The two weren’t on the best of terms after their split. According to reports, Henry had filed a cease and desist order last week.

The two had gone their own ways in 2022, after having been engaged for two years. Henry, a 23-year-old model had levelled allegations of infidelity against the 31-year-old singer.

Sources close to Liam reported to PEOPLE that “he was overwhelmed by all of the legal issues.”

Maya had also opened up on TikTok, about how Liam would call her incessantly, even from different numbers and also spam her with emails. He would even reach out to her mother when he failed to reach her. She has even claimed that he would use manipulative tactics, saying that he’ll die and other things, to gain her attention.1 (1)

Unwarranted Hate in the Aftermath of Liam’s Death

Maya in an interview highlighted that people close to the singer had urged her to not release her book ‘Looking Forward’, which was based on her relationship, citing that Liam was not going through a good time.

After the clip started doing rounds, nasty comments flooded her Instagram, blaming her for his death. Comments ranged from “Are you happy now?” to “It’s all your fault” and “look what you've done.”

Some voiced their support for her, saying she shouldn’t be at the receiving end of so much hate.
The singer was in good spirits before his death. In his final Snapchat post, Liam could be enjoying his hotel surroundings. He greeted his fans with a cheerful "good morning" while showcasing the luxurious setting of his hotel room and its beautiful lawns. He captioned the video, "Lovely day in Argentina." In a follow-up post, he expressed, "Happy I got some time away." Payne’s last Snapchat Story featured a mirror selfie of him and his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, both in swimsuits.

Hate for Women In the Aftermath of Tragic or Unfortunate Events Isn’t New

Relentless hate for a woman in the aftermath of tragic or unfortunate events is common, regardless of geography.

Yoko Ono, artist and partner of singer John Lennon, received decades of blame for allegedly "breaking up" The Beatles.

More recently, actor Amber Heard faced immense backlash, much of which was rooted in misogyny, during her highly publicized and ugly legal battle with Johnny Depp.

After the divorce of Kusha Kapila, a content creator, and her husband Zorawar, she was painted to be the villain who has ruined the life of an innocent guy. She was accused online of having cheated, seeking attention and more. This happened despite both of them issuing statements highlighting how this was a mutual decision.

Also read: Kusha Kapila Broke Up. Can We Stop Obsessing Over It Already?

When cricketer Virat Kohli didn’t perform well on the field, his wife, Anushka Sharma, is instantly blamed for distracting him by being present in the stadium. Actress Tanushree Dutta bravely opened up about her experience with sexual harassment during the #MeToo movement, only to be dismissed as "attention-seeking."

Women in the public eye often bear disproportionate criticism, despite sometimes being not at all involved in their partner’s miseries or general unfortunate occurings.

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