Niall Horan has expressed his heartbreak over the sudden death of his former One Direction bandmate, Liam Payne.
In a heartfelt statement on social media, Horan said he was “absolutely devastated” by the news of the death of his “amazing friend.”
“This just doesn’t feel real,” Horan wrote in an emotional message shared along with a throwback photo from their boy-band days.”I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.”
Payne, 31, passed away on Wednesday evening of multiple injuries after he fell from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires. He was in the city to watch Horan perform on tour, posting videos on social media of himself and his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, enjoying the performance.
Horan recalled the special bond they shared and said, “Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure. All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness. We got to live out our wildest dreams together, and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime.”
Horan, who remained close to Payne since One Direction’s hiatus in 2016, also extended his “love and condolences” to the late star’s family, concluding his message with, “Thank you for everything, Payno.”
His statement comes after Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson along with the One Direction page, took to their respective handles to pen notes of love and remembrance. The group issued a joint statement on Thursday, expressing their grief over the loss of their “brother” and requesting privacy as they “grieve and process” the news.
One Direction, who formed in 2010 on The X Factor, became one of the most successful boy bands of all time. They went on to release an album of radio-ready songs each year in time for the holiday shopping season and became one of the highest-grossing live acts in the world.
In 2016, after Malik left, the group said it was on an indefinite hiatus but not splitting up.
