The world was shocked to learn about the death of Liam Payne, former member of One Direction, who passed away after a fatal fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on Oct. 16, per CNN. Payne, 31, had recently attended One Direction bandmate Niall Horan’s concert in the same city on Oct. 2, just weeks before his death. As the shocking news spreads, Horan has now released a personal statement reflecting on the surprising loss of his friend and former bandmate.
In his statement posted on Oct. 18, Horan wrote, “I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real. Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in the 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 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.”
Horan continued, “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. 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.”
It’s possible Payne and Horan reconnected soon before Payne’s death, at Horan’s The Show: Live on Tour concert. “I think we might just go and say hello,” Payne said on Snapchat ahead of the concert, which was reshared to X (formerly Twitter). “It’s been a while since me and Niall have spoken. We’ve got a lot to talk about. And I would like to square up a couple of things with the boy. No bad vibes or anything like that. But just, um, we need to talk.”
Horan — along with fellow One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson — released a joint statement on Oct. 17 reacting to news of Payne’s tragic death. The statement was posted to One Direction’s official Instagram account and reads, “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.”
It’s clear that the One Direction bandmates are heartbroken over the news of Payne’s death. Here’s hoping they each take the time to grieve and continue to hold onto the special memories they shared together.