Louis Theroux’s bombshell documentary Boybands Forever shows members of 90s boybands discuss the effect the brutal music industry had on them, dragging up old conflict for some
Robbie Williams has spectacularly hit out at former manager Nigel Martin-Smith who accused him of overplaying his difficulties with substance abuse.
The 50-year-old rose to fame in boyband Take That with Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Howard Donald. Robbie and his former manager both appeared in Louis Theroux’s new Boybands Forever documentary.
The show delves deeper into the boyband phenomenon of the 90s and ultimately how it impacted the mental health of those involved. But in a bombshell open letter posted on his Instagram account, Robbie goes in on Nigel, responding to some of the claims made on the BBC three-parter.
Robbie urges Nigel to take some accountability when it comes to the treatment of the men, who were teenagers when he first took them on. He starts: “I was equal parts terrified and excited to be sharing a screen with you again, excited to see where we both are on this journey, and terrified, in case old emotions would be triggered, and I’d still be in a place of anger, hurt or fear.
“As it happened, it would appear that time has done its thing, and I guess the wisdom it brings has taken its mop to a few nooks and crannies here and there, I guess not every nook has been bleached.” Using some of Nigel’s comments directly, Robbie addresses them one by one.
He says: “If you are following the story closely, you can’t help but notice a pattern emerge. Boys join boy band. The band becomes huge. Boys get sick. Some are fortunate through a series of self examinations and helped to overcome their experience. Some never quite managed to untangle the mess of the wreckage of the past.”
He continues: “I’m not breaking anyone’s anonymity by sharing the side effects of boy band dysphoria that relate to just us lads. Everyone has publicly put this on record.”
He then lists his fellow Take That members and the issues they faced: “Howard – contemplated suicide when the band ended. Mark – addiction, alcoholism and rehab. Gaz – bulimia. Me – I think that one is well documented. And Jason – whatever effect take that had on him is so painful he can’t even be part of it.”
In response to Nigel’s claim in the show that Robbie “blamed him for his drug taking and behaving like a w****r”, the singer replies: “I will also remind you that the person acting like a w****r was 16 when he joined the band and 21 when he left. That was the last time I saw you. I hope I have more grace and understanding when and if any of my own four children at such a vulnerable age behave in the same manner.”
Robbie ends the powerful later with: “Nigel, I do love you, but sadly, it’s also true that I don’t like you. The two I am coming to find aren’t mutually exclusive,” before urging fans not to go after Nigel, signing off: “Hugs, Rob x”
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