A woman has claimed she was fired from her job for being upset over the death of One Direction star Liam Payne in October, and said her boss had some choice words for her

Liam Payne died in October 2024 (file) (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

One woman has claimed she lost her job for grieving Liam Payne’s death.

The One Direction star died in October last year after he fell from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His unexpected passing came as a shock to many and left millions of fans devastated – including one woman who claimed she was fired from her job for being upset at the news because her boss “doesn’t like One Direction”.

In a viral video, the woman named Maz explained she was “really quiet” at work the day after Liam died, because she was a “certified One Direction girlie” and said the loss was “tragic”. But when her boss demanded to know why she wasn’t her usual talkative self, she was met with an incredibly rude response.

Maz shared her story on TikTok this week in the style of the “put a finger down” trend, where people ask others to put a finger down if they relate to the experience despite it being very specific.

She claimed: “Your boss says, ‘Why are you so quiet?’ and you say, ‘Oh, you know what? I’m just really sad Liam Payne has died’. And then she says you’re pathetic, and then she spits on the floor and tells you to grow up and says you’re not allowed to grieve.”

Horrified by her boss’ rude response, Maz decided to “play One Direction songs” while she worked for the rest of her shift. She thought that was the end of things, but a few days later, she noticed that a meeting had been added to her calendar for 8:30 am, even though she doesn’t normally start work until 9.

The woman felt nervous about the meeting but believed it could have been good news like a promotion, as she had no reason to assume it would be anything bad. But when she went into the meeting room, she was shocked by what happened.

She added: “So you get there at half eight, bright and breezy, bushy-tailed and all. And you get let go. Which is exciting. And then you sit there and you think, I now have to explain to future employers that I actually got let go because my boss didn’t like One Direction. And you think, hey, it’s the story of my life.”

In the video’s caption, Maz noted that “certain aspects” of her experience “have been dramatised for dramatic purposes,” indicating that things may not have been as explosive as they sounded.

Commenters on the post told the woman she was “better off” without the job if her colleagues were really that rude to her. Others also shared their own experiences at work after the news broke, with many saying they were supported and given space to grieve.

One person said: “I don’t really like One Direction or anything, but still felt really sorry that he had passed. I can’t believe she spat on the floor though. What an overreaction. You’re better off without that job, love.” Another added: “This is absolutely awful; good riddance to that job, wow. I’m with you, girl.”

Someone else wrote: “That’s awful! My boss called me at 9 am and let me have the day off to grieve the loss and then a mass email got sent out to offer a support session for anyone that needed it … so blessed.”