"He is in shock."
The British music industry was stunned when it was recently confirmed that Liam Payne had passed away.
On October 16, 2024, Liam died after falling from a balcony in Argentina at the age of 31.
The singer was allegedly under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Liam Payne was famous for being a part of the influential boyband One Direction.
The group also included Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, and Niall Horan.
The five members entered the 2010 series of The X Factor as solo artists. However, they all failed to progress beyond the Bootcamp stage of the competition.
Despite this, the judges saw potential in the young men and allowed them to form One Direction.
Under the mentorship of Simon Cowell, the band finished in third place in the competition.
They went on to become one of the world’s biggest and most successful boybands.
Zayn left the group in 2015, and One Direction announced an indefinite hiatus the following year.
Sources revealed that Zayn was “in bits” following the news of Liam’s death.
A music producer close to Zayn said: “Zayn was told in the early hours of this morning and has been in absolute bits.
“He is in shock, and his parents have been in touch with Liam’s family to offer their support and condolences.
“People close to Zayn don’t want him to be alone at the moment, so he is surrounded by friends.”
The source continued to state that Zayn and Liam had not been on speaking terms with each other due to past issues.
However, the former collaborators still “respected each other from a distance”.
Zayn released a joint statement along with Niall, Harry and Louis.
The statement read: “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.
“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.
“For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us.
“We will miss him terribly. We love you, Liam.”
In his own tribute to his former colleague, Zayn took to Instagram and wrote:
“Liam, I found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me.
“I can’t help but think selfishly that there were so many more conversations for us to have in our lives.
“I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life.
“When I was missing home as a 17-year-old kid, you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know that you are my friend and that I was loved.
“Even though you were younger than me, you were always more sensible than me.
“You were headstrong, opinionated and gave no f**ks about telling people when they were wrong.
“Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, I always secretly respected you for it.
“When it came to the music, you were the most qualified in every sense. I knew nothing in comparison.
“I was a novice child with no experience, and you were already a professional.
“I was always happy to know no matter what happened on stage, we could always rely on you to know which way to steer the ship next.
“I lost a brother when you left us, and I can’t explain to you what I’d give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly.
“I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever.
“There are no words that justify or explain how I feel right now other than beyond devastated.
“I hope that wherever you are right now, you are good and are at peace, and you know how loved you are.
“Love you, bro.”
Zayn’s family also paid tribute to Liam on social media.
One of his sisters – Waliyha Azad – posted a series of pictures of Liam Payne on her Instagram Story.
She wrote: “Literally heartbroken. RIP. I have no words.”
One of Liam’s fellow contestants from The X Factor expressed her sadness at the singer’s death.
Mary Byrne, who also appeared in the live shows, stated: “Liam always had an old head on his shoulders.
“He was always the one helping everyone else along, even me at the age of 50.
“He gave me the courage to carry on when I felt low.
“To see him go down that dark road after big worldwide fame is very sad.
“They all had a lot to give to the world, and I think the breakup brought up a lot of stress and some mental problems.
“He never seemed to be right after that.”
“I remember one particular time, feeling very low and missing my daughter.
“He was the one who came to me and put his arms around me and say, ‘I’m here for you’.
“The kind of love and care that young man could give you was an incredible gift.
“I will miss him. I know he left a little boy behind – it’s very sad. I will miss him, and I did love him.”
Liam Payne shares a son with Cheryl named Bear, who was born in 2017.
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