Harry Styles speaks out after Liam Payne’s death: ‘I will miss him always, my lovely friend’
Harry Styles is honoring his friend and former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne after his death with a heartfelt statement.
Payne died at the age of 31 after falling off a third floor balcony hotel while in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Oct. 16.
Following a joint statement from the boy band, as well as individual tributes from Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, Styles also shared a personal message to Payne. He included a photo of Payne sitting on stage, looking at the crowd.
“I am 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,” the statement begins. “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.”
Styles continues, “The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend.”
The singer adds that his heart breaks for Payne’s family, “Karen, Geogg, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear.” As well as “those around the world who knew and loved him, as I did.”
Styles and Payne became friends when they auditioned for the UK’s “The X-Factor.” While they auditioned as solo artists, Simon Cowell and the judges decided to group Styles, Payne, Malik, Tomlinson and Niall Horan into one boy band. As they created One Direction, they came in third place but would go on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.
The group, however, went on indefinite hiatus in 2016 with each member embarking on their own solo career.
Police are still investigation Payne’s death. However, officers were called to the hotel after a report of “an aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” the Sistema de Atencio Medica de Emergencia told Telemundo, part of NBCUniversal.
In a recording of the 911 call also obtained by Telemundo, the hotel staff member told police that the guest was tearing up his room and they were concerned for his safety. The call did not name Payne, but appeared to be from the hotel he was staying.
Payne died of “polytrauma and internal and external bleeding,” with his cause of death called “doubtful/undertermined,” per the Argentina National Prosecutor’s Office press release that included details of his autopsy and obtained by TODAY.com.
While substances were taken from his hotel room, additional studies to determine if Payne had alcohol or drugs in his system were requested by the prosecutor’s office. The singer had previously disclosed his struggle with addiction.
Payne left behind a 7-year-old son named Bear, whom he shared with ex-girlfriend Chery Cole.
His family released a statement on Oct. 17, saying in part, “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.”
