The surviving members of One Direction have spoken out after the tragic death of their former bandmate Liam Payne.
READ MORE: Liam Payne 1993-2024: One Direction star who helped spark a pop phenomenon
The singer died at the age of 31 after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, yesterday (October 16). As per The Guardian, the Argentinian prosecutor’s office revealed that Payne’s cause of death was due to multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding – his head injuries were serious enough to cause death.
Now, Payne’s former One Direction bandmates – Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik – have shared a statement following his sudden death.
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Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan of One Direction sign their new book ‘One Direction: Forever Young: Our Official X-Factor Story’ at HMV on March 7, 2011 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage)
“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,” began their statement.
It continued: “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.”
The Wolverhampton-born Payne rose to prominence after auditioning for The X Factor in 2008 at the age of 14, where he performed a cover of Frank Sinatra’s ‘Fly Me To The Moon’. He would later be grouped with Styles, Malik, Horan and Tomlinson to form the chart-topping One Direction.
One Direction would go on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, releasing the albums ‘Up All Night’ in 2011, ‘Take Me Home’ in 2012, ‘Midnight Memories’ in 2013, ‘Four’ in 2014 and ‘Made in the A.M.’ in 2015.
Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Harry Styles of One Direction attends the BBC Music Awards at Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre on December 11, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images)
‘Made in the A.M.’ was released as a four-piece following the departure of Malik. After releasing ‘Made in the A.M.’, One Direction went on hiatus with each member launching solo careers.
According to Reuters and GMA News, Buenos Aires newspaper La Nacion was the first to break the news of Payne’s death, before CNN then confirmed it via a statement from from local authorities.
The mother of Styles wrote on Instagram that Payne was “just a boy,” while Malik’s sister said, “I can’t believe it, I honestly have no words for this sad moment… I really can’t believe it.”
Payne’s family have also issued a statement, saying: “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
The X Factor, on which One Direction first formed, also shared a message on social media, writing, “He was immensely talented and, as part of One Direction, Liam will leave a lasting legacy on the music industry and fans around the world.”
Katie Waissel, who competed alongside One Direction, recently paid tribute to Payne and called for more “care and support for young artists”.
Rebecca Ferguson, who finished in second place on the same season of the show, paid tribute to Payne while also speaking out against the “exploitation and profiteering of young stars.”
Liam Gallagher also commented on Payne’s passing, tweeting: “life is precious”, before confirming he had heard the news of the singer’s untimely death: “I have it’s very sad.”
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