After One Direction singer Liam Payne’s shocking death on Oct. 16, his friends, family, and former band mates are speaking out.
On Thursday, his ex-girlfriend, Alina Mawla, 26 posted on her Instagram Story, “I’m sorry this happened to you…will forever love and miss you,” alongside a photo of Payne at a concert.
Additionally, she shared a photo of herself holding hands with him, and wrote, “rest in paradise.”
Payne was briefly linked to Mawla in 2022, following his breakup with his former fiancee Maya Henry, but at the time of his death, he was dating Kate Cassidy.
He’s also survived by his son Bear, 7, with whom he shares with singer Cheryl Cole, 41, his parents, Geoff and Karen, and older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
“Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” the family said in a joint statement on Thursday.
Payne died suddenly at age 31 after plunging off a hotel balcony in Argentina. It’s unclear if it was intentional or accidental. However, an autopsy released on Thursday indicated that Payne may have been unconscious at the time of his fatal fall, and witnesses told TMZ that Payne was acting “erratic” before his sudden passing.
The Post has reached out to Payne’s reps.
Payne was in Argentina earlier with his girlfriend Cassidy, to support his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan, 31 who had a show there.
Payne rose to fame as a member of One Direction, which was one of the most successful boy bands of all from 2010 to 2016, when they went on hiatus and all five members pursued solo careers.
Horan has also spoken out with a tribute to his late friend and band mate, along with the rest of One Direction.
On Friday, Horan posted a photo on Instagram of himself and Payne several years ago, smiling while he gave Payne a piggyback ride.
“I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real,” Horan wrote along with the photo.
He added, “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.”
On Thursday, Harry Styles, 30, posted his own tribute, writing via Instagram, “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.”
Styles added, “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.”
Zayn Malik, 31, wrote a long emotional Instagram post on Thursday.
“Liam, 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,” he said.
Malik added that even when he and Payne “butted heads,” he “secretly respected” Payne’s ability to tell people when they were wrong.
He continued, “I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what I’d give just to give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly.”
The final former One Direction member, Louis Tomlinson, 32, also posted a long emotional tribute. After echoing the other band members’ sentiments that he was “devastated” and “lost a brother,” Tomlinson 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.”
He added, “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. 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.”
The musicians also shared a joint statement to the band’s Instagram account, which hadn’t been active since 2020.
“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,” they wrote on Thursday. “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.”