One Direction said Thursday they were «completely devastated» by the death of bandmate Liam Payne, who fell from the balcony of his Buenos Aires hotel room at the age of 31.
The members of hugely successful pop group One Direction said Thursday they were «completely devastated» by the death of bandmate Liam Payne, who fell from the balcony of his Buenos Aires hotel room at the age of 31.
Family members said they were «heartbroken» as tributes poured in from the world of music, fans and even the office of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
In Argentina, an autopsy suggested that the British singer had not tried to stop his fall on Wednesday, and «may have fallen in a state of semi or total unconsciousness» before his death.
«We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say», One Direction bandmates Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik said on social media.
«But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly», they said.
«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», they added.
«We love you Liam.»
In a separate tribute on Instagram, Styles said Payne’s «greatest joy was making other people happy.»
«The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend», he wrote.
Tomlinson described Payne as «the kind brother I’d longed all my life for.»
«And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction», he said on Instagram.
«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.»
Malik posted a photo of him and Payne sleeping, with the caption, «Love you, bro.
