One Direction's Most Controversial Moments: From Liam Payne's 'Homophobia' To That 'Joint' Scandal

One Direction's Most Controversial Moments
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Since their meteoric rise to fame on ‘The X Factor’, barely a day has gone by without seeing One Direction hitting headlines.

But while their success in the music industry has kept them in the public eye, it’s what the five four (*sob*) lads get up to away from the spotlight that has given them column inches over the years, and they've had more than a scandals thrown their way.

The latest 1D controversy comes courtesy of Liam Payne, who was met with accusations of homophobia by some critics, over a speech he made during a concert in Ohio.

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One Direction (oh, and Zayn Malik)

Liam vehemently denied the allegations, insisting this was not the case, and apologising to anybody who felt offended, writing: “I am in no way shape or form homophobic that's a [ridiculous] thing to say and I'm not here to offend people so take it as you will…

“I'm sorry to those I offended really I am but there's no need for some of the things I'm being called.”

Of course, this is far from the first controversy that 1D have been faced with.

During their time in the spotlight all five original One Direction members have been in the spotlight for unexpected reasons, such as clandestine relationships, questionable behaviour on social media and accusations of illegal drug use.

Here are 14 of the most shocking, and memorable, 1D scandals...

One Direction's Most Controversial Moments
Zayn Malik Joins The Group(01 of13)
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It might be surprising to recall that Zayn's inclusion in One Direction wasn't actually all that well-received, given that he'd refused to dance at boot camp, walking out rather than finishing his choreographed routine.Even Mary Byrne gave it a jaunty shimmy, Zayn! (credit:ITV)
1D's Feud With The Wanted(02 of13)
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One Direction and short-lived rivals The Wanted had a long-standing feud, which peaked when Zayn called their lead singer, Max George, "chlamydia boy" during a heated Twitter row.Eventually Jay McGuinness stepped in, urging Louis Tomlinson and Zayn to "stop mentioning us in your gigs", adding: "We certainly no longer mention you and it's time to let dead dogs lie."
Liam Payne Channels Batman, But Fans Aren't Happy(03 of13)
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Liam was forced to apologise to fans over this photo, which showed him standing on a window ledge, overlooking East London.He tweeted: "You may have seen a photo of me today taken on top of a building. I regret being there and having the photo taken."It was a stupid and irresponsible thing to do. I am sorry..." (credit:Twitter)
THAT Infamous 'Joint' Video(04 of13)
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Zayn and Louis landed themselves in hot water last year, when a video surfaced online, showing the twosome smoking a dodgy-looking cigarette, while Louis said to the camera: "So here we are, leaving Peru. Joint lit. Happy days!"Louis can also be heard joking that “Mary J” - a slang term for marijuana - is “one very very important factor of Zayn’s warm up”. (credit:Jeff Kravitz/OneD via Getty Images)
Harry Faces Racism Accusations(05 of13)
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Harry Styles' Twitter followers weren't impressed with this photo, showing him sporting a traditional Native American headdress, with many accusing him of cultural appropriation.He later deleted the picture from his social media accounts. (credit:Twitter)
Miley Cyrus Hints At VMAs Fix(06 of13)
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Miley might have provided one of the most outrageous moments in VMAs history back in 2013, but it's often overlooked that she actually left the ceremony early.Hinting on Twitter that something may be afoot, she wrote: "Leaving the VMAs. No it's not over. I'm no psychic but congrats @onedirection #songofthesummer"Call her Mystic Meg, because 1D only went and won, didn't they? We're sure it was just a coincidence... (credit:C Flanigan via Getty Images)
Louis Hits Out At Gay Rumours, Despite That Not Actually Being The Suggestion(07 of13)
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A journalist for The Independent noticed that Louis was sporting a t-shirt with the Apple logo on, but emblazoned in rainbow colours, she speculated it might be a mark of solidarity with the company's CEO, who had recently come out.Louis, unfortunately, totally misread the situation, and took it as accusations that he himself was gay, tweeting the journalist directly and writing: "I am in fact straight... Fucking ridiculous I even have to tweet that shit!"You know what, Louis? You didn't have to. (credit:Bennett Raglin via Getty Images)
#FreePalestine(08 of13)
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Zayn Malik found himself on the receiving end of death threats, after tweeting the message #FreePalestine out of the blue to his 13 million followers.Keep in mind this was before Zayn's Twitter page became a haven for, well, every thought that enters his head, as it currently is. (credit:Jason LaVeris via Getty Images)
Harry's Alleged Dalliance With A Married Radio DJ(09 of13)
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Shortly after his fling with Caroline Flack, it was reported that he'd slept with another woman over a decade older him, this time radio DJ Lucy Horobin, who was married at the time.However, an insider later told the Sunday Mirror that Harry "had no idea she was still married". (credit:NBC NewsWire via Getty Images)
Louis And Zayn's Epic Twitter Fall-Out(10 of13)
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They might have been BFFs when they were still in One Direction, but once Zayn was gone from the group, he and Louis fell out spectacularly on Twitter, over music producer Naughty Boy.Zayn publicly told Louis to "stop bitching", writing to him publicly: "Remember when you had a life and stopped making bitchy comments about mine?"The two were later reported to have made up, but when Zayn fell out with Calvin Harris, Louis was there to make it clear he was on the DJ's side... (credit:Juan Naharro Gimenez via Getty Images)
Niall Horan Calls Fans A Shower Of... Well...(11 of13)
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Niall was at the centre of a controversy, after a video showed him greeting fans at Dublin airport with the unusual salutation of: "You shower of c**ts."Although that sounds bad on paper, Niall did wish the same fans a 'happy birthday' in the video, and later insisted his comments were "just banter", tweeting: "Really sorry if I caused any offence. It was just banter with fans who I think of more as mates. But I understand that it's not a word I should be using at all." (credit:Jason LaVeris via Getty Images)
Hayley Williams Accuses The Group Of Plagiarism(12 of13)
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The intros to 'What Makes You Beautiful', 'Live While We're Young' and 'Best Song Ever' all struck a chord with music fans, for their similarities to other songs.However, Hayley Williams took it a step further when she heard 'Steal My Girl' for the first time, tweeting: "[The] beginning of that new 1D song couldn't sound any more like the beginning of @newfoundglory's "its not your fault" but..." (credit:Josh Brasted via Getty Images)
Louis Tomlinson's Friend Sparks Backlash(13 of13)
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This behind-the-scenes snap from the 'Steal My Girl' video upset animal rights' activists, who were angered that the group had a chained monkey on the set of their music video.Although a 1D spokesperson was adamant that no animals were harmed, UK-based charity Wild Futures called for the video to be pulled altogether. (credit:Twitter/Louis Tomlinson)