One Direction’s dark days are coming to light following the death of Liam Payne

Members of one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, One Direction, were reportedly abused during their biggest success.

An insider out In touch criticized the management team, claiming they had effectively destroyed young musicians Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson.

“They weren’t emotionally mature enough to handle the fame,” the source said. They emphasized that instead of allowing the five boys to live normal, peaceful lives, they were overworked and spent their childhood in hotel rooms between a hectic work schedule and performances.

“They were treated like they were merchandise,” the insider added.

These comments surfaced following Simon Cowell’s announcement that he plans to launch a new talent show in the hope of discovering the next big boy band like One Direction.

One Direction was formed in 2010 during the British television show The X factor.

However, after mesmerizing audiences for almost five years, the band went on hiatus in 2016 after Dusk to dawn hitmaker Malik’s departure in 2015.

While the members pursued solo careers, Payne recently died at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel building on Wednesday, October 16.