Simon Cowell, Niall Horan and One Direction bandmates release heartbreaking tributes after Liam Payne's death

Simon Cowell and One Direction stars Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Harry Styles have spoken out following Liam Payne's tragic death at age 31. The UK singer and father-of-one was found dead after he reportedly fell from the third floor of his hotel balcony in Buenos Aries on Wednesday afternoon local time.

In a statement posted to One Direction’s official social media accounts on Friday morning, the group said they were “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,” they wrote.

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“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,” the post concluded, before being signed off by Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry.

Niall Horan's tribute to Liam

On Friday, Niall Horan took to Instagram to share his own tribute to his friend and bandmate, posting a photo of him giving Liam a piggyback alongside a statement that read: "I'm absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn't feel real. 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."

He continued: "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.

"My love and condolences go out to Geoff, Karen, Ruth, Nicola and of course his son Bear."

Niall signed off by writing: "Thank you for everything, Payne. Love you brother, Nialler."

Liam was in South America attending his Niall Horan’s concert on October 2 alongside his girlfriend, influencer Kate Cassidy. He posted a video on Snapchat saying he was attending the concert as he wanted to “square up a couple of things” with the Irish singer.

“I think we might just go and say hello,” he said, “It’s been a while since me and Niall have spoken. We’ve got a lot to talk about. And I would like to square up a couple of things with the boy. No bad vibes or anything like that. But just, um, we need to talk.”

Fans captured videos of Liam singing and dancing along to Niall’s performance from his box in Movistar Arena. He later posted selfies of himself and Niall on Snapchat alongside the caption: “Reunited ❤️.”

Simon Cowell's tribute to Liam

Simon Cowell, who put One Direction together on The X Factor in 2010, shared a tribute to Liam, remembering the 31-year-old as "kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful [and] talented."

He shared his tribute on Instagram, writing: "You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens. Liam, I am devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory for you.

"This is so difficult to put into words right now. I went outside today and I thought about so many times we had together. I wanted to let you know what I would always say to the thousands of people who would always ask me. What is Liam like? And I would tell them you were kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, focused. And how much you loved music. And how much love you genuinely had for the fans."

Simon continued: "I had to tell you when you were 14 that this wasn’t your time. And we both made a promise that we would meet again. A lot of people would have given up. You didn’t. You came back and within months the whole world knew Liam. And you never forgot the fans. I watched you spending so much time with people who had wanted to meet you. You really cared.

"You came to see me last year. Not for a meeting. Just to sit and talk. And we reminisced about all of the fun times we had together. And how proud you were to be a dad. After you left, I was reminded that you were still the sweet, kind boy I had met all of those years ago. I have met your son, Bear. He has your smile and that twinkle in his eye that you have. And he will be so proud of everything you achieved. And how you achieved it.

"I always thought of the 5 of you in the band as brothers. And reading their messages today I believe you were."

Simon finished by writing: "And now Liam, I can see the effect you had on so many people because you left us too soon. Rest in peace my friend. And I am sending my love, thoughts and prayers to your family. Simon x."

Harry Styles' tribute to Liam

Shortly after the group posted their joint statement, Harry shared a photo of Liam on his Instagram and said he was “truly devastated by Liam’s passing”.

“His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it,” he wrote. “Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve, he had an energy for life that was infectious. He was warm, supportive, and incredibly loving. The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend.”

Harry went on to acknowledge Liam’s family and seven-year-old son, writing: “My heart breaks for Karen, Geoff, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear, and all those around the world who knew and loved him, as I did.”

Louis Tomlinson's tribute to Liam

Louis also shared a lengthy tribute on his Instagram alongside a photo of himself and Liam on stage, writing that he was “beyond devastated” to have “lost a brother”.

“Liam was somebody I looked up to every day, such a positive, funny, and kind soul,” he wrote. “I first met Liam when he was 16 and I was 18, I was instantly amazed by his voice but more importantly as time went on I got a chance to see the kind brother I’d longed all my life for.

“Liam was an incredible songwriter with a great sense of melody, we often spoke of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band.

“And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam.”

Louis went on to share a message directly to Liam, admitting that he feels “beyond lucky” to have had him in his life but is “really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye”.

“I’m so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours, reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I’d have with you for life. I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn’t to be.

“I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was. I wish I got [the] chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you.

“Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well.”

Zayn Malik's tribute to Liam

Zayn posted a sweet photo of himself and Liam sleeping on top of one another in a car during the early stages of One Direction alongside a lengthy tribute.

“Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can't help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives,” he wrote.

“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 yr old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were 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.”

Zayn then echoed Louis’ sentiment and said that when it came to music, Liam was “the most qualified in every sense”.

“I knew nothing in comparison, l 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,” he continued.

“I lost a brother when you left us and 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 is 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.”

Liam's family speak out following his death

Liam’s family shared a statement shortly after his passing, revealing that they are “heartbroken” and he will “forever live in our hearts”.

“We'll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time,” they wrote.

Liam’s uncle Roger Harris also told Daily Mail that the family is “deeply saddened”, adding: “I just hope everybody gives them some privacy really and allows them to come to terms with it. That's all I can say.”

Tributes have poured in online for the singer following his passing, with his former collaborator Charlie Puth writing on his Instagram Stories that he was “in shock”.

“Liam was always so kind to me. He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I cannot believe he's gone…” he wrote.

Harry Style’s mum, Anne Twist, simply posted a picture of the broken heart emoji on Instagram alongside the caption: “Just a boy…”

Liam Payne's rise to fame

Liam rose to fame through the boy band One Direction after the group was formed on The X Factor UK in 2010, and was comprised of himself, Niall, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.

The band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016 and Liam subsequently established a solo career releasing two EPS and one studio album, ‘LP1’.

“The day the band ended, I was like, ‘Thank the Lord’,” he told The Diary Of A CEO podcast in 2022. “I know a lot of people are going to be mad at me for saying that, but I needed to stop or it would kill me.”

He is father to son Bear, who was born in 2017, from his previous relationship with singer Cheryl Cole. He began dating his girlfriend, influencer Kate Cassidy, in October 2022.

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