Getty ImagesSimon Cowell has paid tribute to One Direction star Liam Payne, saying he is “heartbroken” and feels “empty” following his death.
Cowell, who brought the group together on The X Factor in 2010, recalled Payne as “kind, funny, gentle, thoughtful (and) talented”.
“Liam, I am devastated. My heart is breaking. And I feel empty,” he wrote.
Payne, 31, died Wednesday after falling from the balcony of her third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Cowell added in an Instagram post: “And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I shed was a memory of you.”
The talent show judges also said they remembered the time the two spent together.
“I just wanted to say what I always say to the thousands of people who ask me all the time: What kind of person is Liam?”
“And I told them how kind, funny, gentle, thoughtful, talented, humble and focused you are. And I told them how much you loved music and your fans. I told them how much I loved them.”
Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy also paid tribute to the star, whom she called “my angel”, adding that she was “completely at a loss”.
“You are everything,” she said in a statement.
“I want you to know that I loved you unconditionally and completely. I will continue to love you for the rest of my life.”
This happened on Friday afternoon, when Payne’s father, Jeff Payne, arrived at the Buenos Aires morgue where his son’s body was taken.
Argentine authorities said Mr Payne’s family needed to identify him before his body could be released and repatriated to the UK.
Getty ImagesCowell’s statement also recalled Payne’s first X Factor audition in 2008, when he was 14 years old, and that Cowell told Payne to come back in two years because he wasn’t ready. .
“Many people would have given up, but you didn’t. If you come back, the whole world will know about Liam within a few months.
“And you never forgot about your fans. I saw you spending a lot of time with people who wanted to meet you. You really cared. ”
Cowell eventually signed One Direction to his own label and spearheaded their global success before disbanding in 2016.
The music mogul also revealed that Payne visited him last year.
“Not for a meeting. Just to sit and talk. And we remembered the good times we had together. And how proud I was of you to be my father,” he wrote.
“After you left, I remembered that you were still the kind and gentle boy I met all those years ago.”
She added, “I’ve met your son, Bear. He has your smile and the same sparkle in his eyes as you. And I’m sure he would be so proud of everything you’ve accomplished.” And how you achieved it.”
Cowell’s tribute comes after Payne’s former bandmates posted their own heartfelt memories.
“I always thought of the five of us in the band as brothers,” Cowell continued. “And in terms of their message today, I think you were too.
“And now, Liam, we see the impact you had on so many people, because you left us too soon.”
Also on Friday, Payne’s bandmate Niall Horan also posted a tribute, saying he was “absolutely devastated” by the “death of a great friend.”
Harry Styles previously said his “heart breaks” for Payne’s family. He added, “His greatest joy is making others happy, and it was an honor to do that with him.”
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.”
Others posting reactions included another former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne, who said her message to Mr Payne had “let down” the music industry. It was.
“Where was this industry when you needed them?” she wrote.
“You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was the one who was cornered? Rest in peace my friend.”
