Liam Payne’s former One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik released a statement on Thursday saying: they are “completely devastated” by his death.
Payne died Wednesday after falling in the courtyard of a Buenos Aires hotel, officials in Argentina said. He was 31 years old.
“We are completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” they wrote on Instagram. “Over time, and when everyone is able to do so, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, whom we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly.
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One Direction was formed in 2010 by ‘X Factor’ judges including Simon Cowell and quickly became one of the biggest pop bands in the world – selling 70 million records in 2020.
After the band announced they would be taking an extended hiatus in 2016, each member signed their own record deal and released at least one studio album as a solo artist.
Malik also posted a photo and a message on Instagram, saying, “I find myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me. I can’t help but selfishly think there were so many more conversations that we could carry into our lives.”
He thanked Payne for his support during some of the “toughest times in his life,” and said that although the two “butted heads occasionally” because Payne was “stubborn” and “stubborn,” Payne “secretly respected’ for his actions. It.
“I will forever cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart,” Malik wrote.
Posting on Instagram, Styles wrote that he is “truly devastated” by Payne’s death. “The years we spent together will forever be some of the most cherished years of my life,” he said. “I will miss him always, my dear friend.”
Tomlinson posted a detailed Instagram message on Thursday saying: “I’m devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother. Liam was someone I looked up to every day, such a positive, funny and kind soul. “
He said the two met when Payne was 16 and he was 18, and Tomlinson was “immediately amazed by his voice” and praised him as an “incredible songwriter with a great sense of melody.”
Tomlinson wrote that “we often talked about getting back into the studio together to try to recreate the writing chemistry we’d built in the band.”
Payne had a son in 2017 with former “X Factor” judge Cheryl Cole.
“I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me, I will be the uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories about how great his dad was,” Tomlinson wrote. “I wish I had the chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you,” he said.
