One Direction star Liam Payne battles fresh Twitter storm
One Direction star Liam Payne was at the centre of a Twitter backlash over his support of a controversial TV show – and then took to the social networking site in an extraordinary rant.
The 20-year-old Wolverhampton singer tweeted Willie Robertson, star of American reality TV show Duck Dynasty, with the message: "Huge love to you/your family, huge respect for your business prosperities and the family values you still all behold. Big fan."
But the message raised a few eyebrows as Robertston's father and the show's patriarch Phil Robertson had recently called homosexuality a 'sin' and 'not logical' in a magazine interview.
A gay rights campaigner criticised Liam's message, leading him to receive a barrage of tweets.
Incensed by the over-the-top Twitter reaction he then vented his fury on the social networking site, blasting 'lazy journalists and bloggers'.
Later, he clarified:
He then added:
The Twitter rant comes just days after Liam, from Bushbury in Wolverhampton, was forced to apologise after being photographed teetering on a 360ft-high ledge.
The former St Peter's Collegiate School pupil said standing on the 34th floor balcony was 'stupid and irresponsible'.
On the same day he begged fans to leave him alone and complained that people had been hanging around his house taking pictures.
Liam is one fifth of One Direction. The band found fame on X Factor and are currently the biggest boyband in the world.
They made history when Midnight Memories hit the US chart at number one, making them the only group to see their first three albums go top in the opening week.
Liam has previously been happy to pose with fans for pictures whenever he has returned home, recently visiting the Tumbledown Farm pub near Cannock for Christmas.
But last week he pleaded with fans to stop waiting outside his house and said: "I'd just like to be able to walk outside as everyone does and enjoy time with my friends."
