FORMER One Direction members paid tribute to their “brother” and fellow bandmate Liam Payne, who died on Wednesday, October 16, after falling from a third-floor balcony.
The remaining four members, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan, penned a joint statement posted on the group’s shared account to express their “devastation” over Payne’s untimely death.
“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, whom we loved dearly,” read the statement posted on Instagram.
“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,” concluded the post.
On their separate Instagram accounts, the musicians remembered Payne by sharing their memorable moments with him as well as photos that were taken during their time in One Direction.
Tomlinson looked back on the time when he first met Payne when they were 18 and 16 years old, respectively, and described the latter as “such a positive, funny, and kind soul.”
He promised his late bandmate that he would look after Bear, the seven-year-old son he left behind.
Meanwhile, Malik shared an old photo of himself and Payne asleep on top of each other at the back of a car, and imagined the “more conversations” they could have in this life.
Styles posted Payne’s solo photo showing his back taken during a concert, stating that the latter lived his life “with his heart on his sleeve” and made people happy.
According to the Associated Press, local authorities reported that Payne, 31, died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Payne sustained “extremely serious injuries” after falling from the third floor of Casa Sur Hotel as per the Buenos Aires police. His death was confirmed by the Medics at the scene.
Liam debuted as a member of One Direction in 2008 after he auditioned for the X Factor. The group became one of the best-selling boy bands ever. (Jessica Ann Evangelista ©Philippine Daily Inquirer)
