‘Devastated’: One Direction react to former member’s shocking death

The four former members of boy group One Direction, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, released a joint statement on Thursday, saying they were “completely devastated” by the death of their bandmate Liam Payne.

Payne, 31, died Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

• READ MORE: Death of One Direction’s Liam Payne touches on fans, friends

In a statement posted on Instagram, the group said that “In time, and when everyone is able, 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 love very much “.

“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever,” the statement continued. “For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and the fans who loved him by our side.”

“He will be greatly missed. We love you Liam. Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry,” the post concluded.

Additionally, former members also posted separate tributes to Payne on their individual social media accounts.

“I am truly devastated by Liam’s death,” Styles wrote, posted alongside a photo of Payne looking out over a packed stage. “His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honor to be by his side while he was doing it.”

“The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will always miss him, my dear friend,” he continued.

“Liam was someone I loved every day, such a positive, funny and kind soul,” Tomlinson wrote on Instagram. “And for the record, Liam was, in my opinion, the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on.”

“A message for you, Liam, if you’re listening: I feel beyond lucky to have you in my life, but I’m really struggling with the idea of ​​saying goodbye,” she continued. “I’m so grateful that it brought us even closer because the band, talking on the phone for hours, reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury that I thought I would have with you for the rest of my life. I would have loved share the stage with you again, but it wasn’t like that”.

“Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was contagious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and safe,” Horan wrote.
“All the laughs we’ve had over the years, sometimes over the simplest things, keep coming to mind through the sadness. We got to live our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime.

“I feel so blessed to have been able to see him recently. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that night, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking,” she said.

Malik also wrote a tribute to Payne on Instagram, writing: “I found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you could hear me, I can’t help but selfishly think there were so many more conversations for us in our lives”.

“When it came to music Liam, you were the most qualified in every way. I knew nothing in comparison, I was a newbie with no experience and you were already a pro. I was always glad to know that no matter what happened on stage, we could always count on you to know which way to steer the ship next,” he continued.

“I lost a brother when you left us and I can’t tell you what I would give to hug you one last time and say goodbye properly and tell you I loved you and I loved you so much,” Malik said . . “I will hold all the memories in my heart forever, there are no words to justify or explain how I feel right now other than I am devastated.”