Getty ImagesLiam Payne’s former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan has said he is “absolutely devastated” by the “death of a great friend”.
Ms. Payne died Wednesday night in Buenos Aires, where she had flown to Argentina to see Horan’s tour performance.
It doesn’t seem real,” Horan wrote.
“I feel so lucky to have met him recently. Sadly, after saying goodbye and hugging him that night, I didn’t know that we would be saying goodbye forever. My heart is broken. that’s right.”
In a statement posted on Instagram, Horan said: “Liam had an energy for life and a contagious passion for his work. He was the brightest person in any room and always made everyone feel happy and at ease. “He gave me a lot of help.”
“The things we laughed at over the years, sometimes over the simplest things, will remain remembered even through the sadness. Together we got to realize the wildest dreams. , and I will forever cherish every moment we had. The bond and friendship we had rarely happens in light time.
Horan, 31, also sent his “love and condolences” to Payne’s family.
“Thank you for everything, Payno,” he concluded.
Full coverage of Liam Payne’s death:
The pair have remained friendly since One Direction split in 2016, and Payne told fans on Snapchat earlier this month that he would be visiting Horan to catch up.
He said, “It’s been a while since Niall and I spoke, but there’s a lot we want to talk about.
“There are no bad vibes, but we need to talk,” he added.
Payne attended Horan’s concert last week and once again posted a video on social media of himself and girlfriend Kate Cassidy singing and dancing along to the performance.
Horan reportedly finished his world tour in Bogotá, Colombia on October 9th and returned to his home in London.
He was the last member of One Direction to issue a separate statement regarding Payne’s death, 31.
The band, who appeared on The X Factor in 2010, released a joint statement on Thursday, saying they needed time to “grieve and come to terms with the loss of our brother.”
In a personal statement, Harry Styles said his “heart breaks” for Payne’s family, adding: “His greatest joy was making others happy and he shared that joy with others.” It was an honor to spend time with him,” he added.
Louis Tomlinson echoed Styles’ sentiments, calling Liam “the most important part of One Direction” with a “gift for writing”.
Zayn Malik spoke directly to Payne in a statement, praising his “positive outlook and encouraging smile.”
Ed Sheeran, who co-wrote Payne’s 2017 debut solo single “Strip That Down,” also reacted to the news on Instagram on Friday, saying he was “speechless.”
She added: “My thoughts are with his family and loved ones. All the memories we have of him are wonderful, but this is a truly heartbreaking situation. Please be kind.”
