A “beyond devastated” Zayn Malik has paid tribute to his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne.
Taking to Instagram on Thursday, the singer penned an emotional message to Payne, who died on Oct. 16 at the age of 31.
“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,” Malik wrote alongside a throwback photo of the pair sleeping in a car. “I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life.”
The “Dusk Till Dawn” crooner added that his bandmate always had a “positive outlook” and let him know he was “loved” during difficult times.
Malik then addressed the pair’s tumultuous relationship, which included Malik throwing the late musician up against a wall during a heated argument.
“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,” Malik wrote. “Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, [laughing emoji] I always secretly respected you for it.”
Malik called Payne his “brother” and said, “[I] 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.”
Payne and Malik were members of the world famous boy band, aka 1D, alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson.
Tomlinson also posted a tribute to Payne on Thursday, writing, “I wish I got 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 X.”
Despite finding major success as a group together, Malik and Payne had a famously complicated history. Payne made headlines in May 2022 when he said that there were “many reasons why” he “dislike[d]” Malik, but there were also “many reasons” why he will “always, always be on his side.”
“You can always look at the man for where he is and say, ‘Oh, yeah, whatever, that guy’s a d–k,’ right?’” he said on Logan Paul’s “Impaulsive” podcast on May 31, 2022. “But at the end of the day, once you understand what he’s been through to get to that point, and also whether or not he actually even wanted to be there [in the band].”
Payne quickly clarified his comments after facing backlash from fans and said that he “didn’t articulate” himself “as well as [he] could have.”
“I was saying that there will always be things we disagree on but that I will always, always be on his side,” Payne wrote via X just two days after the podcast episode was released. “That’s family. Zayn is my brother and I will stand by him forever.”
In addition to Malik, Payne’s family also mourned his death and expressed how “heartbroken” they are over the loss.
“Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” the late singer’s loved ones told BBC just one day after his passing.
“We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
Payne is survived by his mother, Karen, father, Geoff, and sisters, Nicola and Ruth. He was also a dad to his and ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole’s 7-year-old son, Bear.
Styles’ mom, Anne Twist, paid tribute to Payne by posting a broken heart emoji on Instagram and adding the caption, “Just a boy … 💔.”
Payne died after he fell from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to local officials, per the Associated Press. He was 31.
The spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality told the outlet that Payne suffered “extremely serious injuries” following a fatal fall from the balcony of his hotel room.
The spokesperson added that police were called to the hotel in an emergency response about an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
The “Strip That Down” singer was staying at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires when he was reportedly seen “acting erratic” in the hotel earlier, sources told TMZ.
Payne was allegedly seen throwing his laptop around 5 p.m. local time before he was “carried back to his room.”
Police officers were already on their way to the hotel after the hotel manager called emergency services over an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
“We have a guest who is [allegedly] high and drunk; and when he is conscious, he is destroying his room and we need you to send someone, please,” the hotel manager told an emergency services operator, per audio from the 911 call.
The manager added that Payne had a “room that has a balcony,” so they were “scared he might be endangering his life.”
Payne later fell around 14 meters to the courtyard. It’s unclear if Payne’s fall was accidental or intentional.
The National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office later told Page Six that Payne died from multiple traumas that led to internal and external bleeding.
Payne was in the South American country after seeing Horan’s concert on Oct. 2 with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy. The two continued staying in Argentina before Cassidy left two days prior to his death.
Payne skyrocketed to fame in 2010 after he auditioned for “The X Factor.” He and his bandmates all initially competed individually before Simon Cowell suggested they link up to form a band.
They joined forces and created One Direction. They quickly became one of the most popular boy bands of all time and sold out stadiums, created best-selling albums and became instant teen heartthrobs.
The band hit a bump in 2015, however, when Malik announced that he’d be working on his solo career and leaving the band. Payne, Styles, Horan and Tomlinson initially attempted to keep the group going, but they ultimately went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.
After they disbanded, Payne continued singing with a solo career and released hit songs like “Strip That Down.” He later launched his debut album, “LP1,” in 2019. However, sources told Page Six that Payne “struggled with finding his path as a solo artist” and was “envious” of his former bandmates’ successes.
A slew of other celebrities have also taken to social media to mourn Payne’s tragic death.
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