The death of former One Direction member Liam Payne has been “heartbreaking” for his former bandmate Niall Horan, who shared an emotional tribute to Payne via social media on October 18, 2024. Within just a few hours, nearly 250,000 fans and friends had left condolences on Horan’s post, including some of his fellow coaches from “The Voice.”
Payne died on October 16 after falling from his third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, per the Associated Press. The 31-year-old musician had traveled to Argentina two weeks prior, intent on attending Horan’s concert and reconnecting with his old friend, telling fans in a video beforehand that it had “been awhile” since they’d spoken.
In Horan’s tribute to Payne, he addressed their reunion for the first time, writing, “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.”
Niall Horan Says He & Liam Payne Lived Out Their ‘Wildest Dreams’ Together
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Horan, who is also 31, posted a throwback photo of himself and Payne, captioning the post with one black heart emoji. On a second slide, he posted a lengthy tribute to Payne, who had remained in Buenos Aires since the October 2 concert where they reunited, according to the BBC.
“I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam,” he wrote. “It just doesn’t feel real.”
“Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious,” Horan continued. “He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure.”
“All the laughs we had over the years,” Horan recalled, “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 together forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime.”
After sharing his reflection on seeing Payne at his concert two weeks prior, Horan wrote, “My love and condolences go out to Geoff, Karen, Ruth, Nicola and of course his son Bear. Thank you for everything, Payne. Love you brother.”
Horan signed the note using his nickname, “Nialler.”
‘The Voice’ Colleagues Among Friends & Fans Supporting Niall Horan as He Grieves
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Within hours of Horan’s post going live, nearly 10 million fans had liked the post and almost 250,000 had left notes of sympathy and encouragement, including some of his fellow coaches on “The Voice,” as well as contestants.
Horan’s fellow Season 23 coach Chance the Rapper wrote, “Praying for u bro 🕊️”
John Legend commented with a broken heart emoji and current coach Michael Buble, wrote, “Love you bud,” which drew nearly 22,000 likes from fans.
Music trio Sorelle, who were on Team Chance in season 23, commented, “We’re so so sorry for your loss. Sending all our love your way❤️”
Former contestant Jerome Goodwin, who was on Team Niall during season 23, wrote, “keeping you all in my prayers🤍”
Horan and his fellow One Direction bandmates shared a joint statement on the group’s social media accounts on October 17.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” the statement read. “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.”
