The former members of One Direction have broken their silence following fellow member Liam Payne’s death.
Update: On Friday, Harry Styles mourned the loss of his former bandmate in a lovely post on Instagram: “I am truly devastated by Liam’s passing,” Styles wrote. “His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it. 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. 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.”
Original story: The previous day, Thursday, One Direction’s official Instagram account released a statement on behalf of Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik, addressing the tragic death of Payne, who died on Wednesday at age 31.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” read the statement, written in white text on a black background. “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.”
In 2010, One Direction was formed after each member originally competed individually on the UK singing-competition program The X Factor, with Payne, Styles, Horan, Malik, and Tomlinson going on to be handpicked to form a boy band. One Direction ended up becoming a pop music phenomenon, earning recognition as one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, releasing five studio albums, and spawning hits like “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Story of My Life,” and “Little Things.” The group went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.
The statement continued: “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.” It was signed, “Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry.”
Tomlinson was the first former One Directioner to release a solo tribute to Payne. “I am beyond devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother,” he wrote on Instagram, captioning a photo of himself performing alongside Payne. “Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul.”
