Following the tragic passing of One Direction alum, Liam Payne, at the age of 31, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan have shared a joint statement, as well as individual tributes, in honor of their late band member and friend.
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Liam, who fell from a third floor balcony while staying at a hotel in Argentina, was in the country to see Niall Horan and stayed for an extended vacation, leaves behind a son, Bear, 7, who he shares with Girls Aloud singer, Cheryl Tweedy.
In the wake of the unimaginable loss, together, the remaining four band members expressed to the press and on their official 1D IG the following message.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.
Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry”
Niall, Louis, Zayn and Harry also individually shared sentimental posts in tribute to Liam.
Alongside an throwback grainy photo giving Liam a piggyback, Niall, whom Payne had just seen perform in Argentina, wrote a moving tribute to his late bandmate, expressing how he is "absolutely devastated" about the loss of his "amazing friend,” and how, “It just doesn't feel real.” Niall's statement goes on to say — “Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure. All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness. We got to live out our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn't happen often in a lifetime.”
"I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn't know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It's heartbreaking,” Niall continued. Finishing his tribute with well wishes to Payne's family, saying, "My love and condolences go out to Geoff, Karen, Ruth, Nicola and of course his son Bear. Thank you for everything, Payno. Love you brother. Nialler”
Starting off by noting he is “beyond devastated” to be writing such a message, “but yesterday I lost a brother,” Louis' tribute went on to reflect on his shared experiences with Liam joining the group together as teenagers. “Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul. I first met Liam when he was 16 and I was 18, I was instantly amazed by his voice but more importantly as time went on I got a chance to see the kind brother I’d longed all my life for.”
He continued, "Liam was an incredible song writer with a great sense of melody, we often spoke of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band. And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam.”
Ending his touching post with a message directly for Liam, Louis wrote. "A message to you Liam if you’re listening, I feel beyond lucky to have had you in my life but I’m really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye. I’m so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours, reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I’d have with you for life. I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn’t to be.”
Also expressing his intentions to be there and support Liam's son, Bear, sharing "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 of how amazing his dad was. I wish I got [a] chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you.” Concluding, “Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well X”
Alongside a sweet photo of himself and Liam asleep on one another in the back of a car during their One Direction day’s, which he caption, "Love You Bro ❤️,” Zayn shared a sweet message on a separate slide. "I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me. I can't help but think selfishly that there [were] so many more conversations for us to have in our lives. I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life.”
Zayn reflected on their time in the band as teenagers, "When I was missing home as a 17 year old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know that you were my friend and that I was loved. Even though you were younger than me, you were always more sensible than me.”
Zayn also added that Liam was "headstrong, opinionated and gave no f***s about telling people when they were wrong" and that even though the pair "butted heads" a few times, he "secretly respected" Liam because of it.
"I was always happy to know, no matter what happened on stage, we could always rely on you to know which way to steer the ship next," he continued. "I lost a brother when you left us and can't explain to you what I'd give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly. I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever.”
For his tribute to Liam, Harry posted an image of the late singer on stage and captioned it with a black heart emoji. Sharing his touching statement on a separate slide, Styles wrote: "I am truly devastated by Liam's passing. His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it.”
Harry went on, “Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve, he had an energy for life that was infectious. He was warm, supportive and incredibly loving. The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend.”
Harry concluded by sharing his condolences with Liam's family, writing, "My heart breaks for Karen, Geoff, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear, and all those around the world who knew and loved him, as I did."
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