Liam Payne Passed Away On October 16 At The Age Of 31
Niall Horan is heartbroken over the death of his former One Direction bandmate, Liam Payne.
Payne passed away on Wednesday (October 16) following a fall from his balcony at the Casa Sur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires. He was 31 years old.
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USA TODAY cites The National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office No. 16 in Argentina, which revealed Payne’s preliminary cause of death in a press release on Thursday (October 17). They stated Payne died from “polytrauma” and “internal and external hemorrhage.”
According to USA TODAY, the circumstances that led up to Payne’s death are still being investigated by authorities. Prosecutors believe the singer was alone at the time of his fall.
One Direction Members React To Liam Payne’s Death
Payne was a member of the band One Direction, which formed in London in 2010 with members Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Payne. They came in third place on the seventh season of The X Factor and catapulted into fame.
One Direction went on to become one of the most popular boy bands of all time. They’re known for their hit songs “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Story of My Life,” and “Best Song Ever,” among others.
The band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016, and its members have pursued solo careers.
On Thursday (October 17) Horan, Styles, Tomlinson, and Malik released a joint statement on One Direction’s Instagram about Payne’s death. They said:
“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 ended their statement with, “We love you Liam,” before signing all four of their names. It was the first post the band shared on their Instagram since 2020.
Niall Horan Remembers Liam Payne In Emotional Statement
The members of One Direction also shared individual statements about Payne’s death. One of the most emotional statements came from former Voice coach Niall Horan.
“I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real,” Horan wrote.
Horan recalled the memories he made with Payne, saying:
“All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the 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.“
BBC reports that Payne recently attended one of Horan’s concerts. They got the chance to see each other there, which Horan is grateful for:
“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,” Horan said.
Horan ended his statement by sharing his condolences for Payne’s family and his son, Bear. He signed the note, “Thank you for everything, Payno. Love you brother. Nialler.”
Horan paired his statement with an old photo of him and Payne together. You can read his full statement about Payne’s death on the second slide in the post below.
Our hearts go out to all who knew and loved Liam Payne…