One Direction Release Statement on Liam Payne’s Death

Liam Payne is being mourned by fans and peers all over the world, with his former One Direction bandmates now speaking out about his death. The remaining members of the band — Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik — have released a statement on Payne’s passing, saying they are “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 joint statement added. “The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.”

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“For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us,” the statement continued. We will miss him terribly.” The group then concluded their statement, “We love you Liam,” and signed it, “Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry.”

Payne died on Wednesday, after falling from his third-floor room at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Officials later reported that an investigation found Payne had jumped from the balcony.

Payne joined One Direction when he was only 16 years old, and is considered to have been one of the main songwriters in the band. The group launched on The X Factor in 2010 and soon became the biggest boy band in the world. Ultimately, One Direction broke up in 2015 after five studio albums, and the members went their separate ways.

Payne is survived by one child, a son named Bear, whom he shared with ex Cheryl Tweedy.