Niall Horan joined his former One Direction brothers in paying tribute to their late partner and friend Liam Payne in a heartfelt personal tribute posted on Friday morning (October 18). Following a group statement from the former 1D members and individual notes from Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson, Horan's touching letter touched on the universal feeling of wishing you had one more goodbye, one more hug or just another quiet time with them. you love
“I am absolutely devastated at the passing of my amazing friend Liam. It just doesn't feel real,” Horan wrote in an Instagram post with a smiling photo of the two from their days in One Direction. The tribute came less than 48 hours after a preliminary autopsy report said Payne, 31, died after falling from the third-floor balcony of his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, suffering multiple, fatal injuries.
“Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was contagious. He was the brightest in any room and always made everyone feel happy and safe,” Horan continued. “All the laughs we've had over the years, sometimes over the simplest things, come to mind through sadness. We got to live our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we lived forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn't happen often in a lifetime.”
Horan said he was lucky to see Payne recently when the “Strip That Down” singer attended one of Niall's shows at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires on October 2. “Unfortunately I didn't know that after I said goodbye and hugged him, I would say goodbye to him forever. It's heartbreaking,” Horan lamented. His tribute ended with a message of love for Payne's family, including the late singer's seven-year-old son, Barr .
“I love you bro,” he concluded.
In an earlier solo message, Styles said he was “truly devastated” by the loss of his friend, sharing that “Payne's greatest joy was making other people happy and it was an honor to be by his side as he did that.”
Tomlinson mourned the loss of his “brother”, saying: “Liam was someone I looked up to every day, such a positive, funny and kind soul.” Zane's message gave a nod to the moments when the two “buttheads” but focused on the kindness Payne showed him during the dark days. “I've never been able to thank you enough for supporting me through some of the hardest times of my life,” she said. “When I was away from home as a 17-year-old, you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were my friend and loved.”
In addition to their own posts, 1D also released a joint statement on Thursday (October 17), writing that, “the memories we shared with him will be cherished forever.”
Local authorities said they believe Payne was not sober at the time of his death, saying they found what appeared to be drugs and alcoholic beverages in his room. In the moments leading up to the star's death, a hotel manager called 911 to report that a guest was “overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol” and “wasting [their] the whole room”; By the time the police arrived on the scene, Payne had already fallen from the balcony of his room and died from his injuries.
Payne's funeral arrangements were not available at press time.
Watch Horan's tribute below.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/niall-horan-absolutely-devastated-death-liam-payne-1235805071/