AJ McLean reveals Liam Payne's drinking habits: ‘I've been there'

AJ McLean has recalled working with now-deceased One Direction star Liam Payne before his death.

The Backstreet Boys alum recalled memories of Liam with whom he worked on the as-yet-unreleased Netflix music reality contest Building the Band.

While talking to E! News about it, AJ said that he only saw Payne, who reportedly had alcohol and drugs in his system when he died, "sober".

The As Long as You Love Me singer the explained, “I know from personal experience, when you're going through something like that, you don't really reach out to people that are sober.”

"It's not because you don't want to, it's you don't want to be held accountable necessarily,” the 46-year-old singer said, adding, “So, I totally get where he was at. I've been there."

The singer also praised the late singer and called him an “incredible human being”. “He was such a talent and such a bright light,” AJ recalled.

The American singer also expressed hope that their show will still be released and audience will see Liam on the show. “They'll remember him this way,” AJ added.

For the unversed, the One Direction singer fell to his death from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

He died on October 16, 2024 at the age of 31.