One Direction has released a statement after the passing of their former bandmate Liam Payne, expressing that they are “utterly heartbroken”.
In the message, signed by “Louis, Zayn, Niall, and Harry”, the four musicians state: “We are utterly heartbroken by the news of Liam’s demise.
“In due course, and when everyone is ready, there will be more to convey. But for now, we will take some time to mourn and come to terms with the loss of our brother, whom we cherished deeply.
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“The moments we had with him will be cherished forever.
“For the time being, our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the fans who adored him as much as we did.
“We will miss him immensely.
“We love you, Liam.”
Payne, 31, passed away after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The artist sustained “extremely severe injuries” after plummeting into the courtyard of the CasaSur Hotel in the Palermo area of the city on Wednesday.
On his Instagram account, Louis Tomlinson expressed that he had “lost a brother”.
Describing the artist as “an exceptional songwriter with a remarkable sense of melody”, he shared that they “grew even closer since the band’s disbandment” and offered to be an uncle to Payne’s son, Bear if he “ever needs me”.
Read more:
Liam Payne obituary
What we know so far after Liam Payne dies
Payne posted on social media in hours preceding his death
He concluded his message with: “Payno, my mate, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you buddy. Rest in peace X”.
Zayn Malik simply remarked “Love You Bro”, accompanied by a photo of them both resting together in what appears to be a vehicle.
Tributes from the entertainment realm have been flooding in for Payne since the heartbreaking news broke.
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