One Direction released a joint statement Thursday responding to the sudden death of Liam Payne, saying that they “will miss him terribly” and are taking “some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother.”
The statement to media was signed off by the surviving members of the popular British boy band: Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Harry Styles.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say,” the statement read. “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.”
In a separate Instagram post later Thursday, Styles shared his own tribute to his former bandmate.
“His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it,” Styles 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.
The preliminary cause of Payne’s death was revealed on Thursday, just one day after the musician died after falling from his hotel Casa Sur Hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. The 31-year-old singer-songwriter died from “multiple traumas” that caused both “internal and external hemorrhage,” according to local reports citing the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Argentina (translated to English using Google Translate).
As TheWrap previously reported, an official autopsy from the Forensic Medical Corps is still pending. His death has been tentatively labeled as suspicious, “although everything suggests that the musician was alone when the fall occurred, and was going through some kind of outbreak due to substance abuse,” according to a Thursday statement from the 14th National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office.
Per the BBC, Payne’s family also issued a statement in response to the artists death, saying they are “heartbroken.”
“We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” the family reportedly said. “We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
Payne rose to fame alongside his 1D bandmates after placing 3rd on the seventh season of “The X Factor” in 2010. The band went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.
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