Payne’s ‘mentor’ Robbie Williams admits he had ‘demons’ and feared he would be ‘next’

He revealed: “I still had my demons when I was 31. I relapsed. I was in pain. I was in pain because I relapsed. I relapsed for a lot of painful reasons. I remember when Heath Ledger passed away and I thought: “I’m next.” By the grace of God and/or dumb luck, I’m still here,” referring to the Dark Knight actor or who died in 2008.

Williams then implored fans to “be kinder. We can be more empathetic. We can at least try to be more compassionate toward ourselves, our family, our friends, strangers in life, and strangers on the internet.”

“What a handsome, talented boy. What a tragically painful loss for his friends, family, fans and by the looks of the energy this moment has created,” he concluded.