Read Louis Tomlinson’s moving message to Liam Payne: ‘I will be the uncle Bear needs’
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Louis Tomlinson shared a heartbreaking tribute to his “brother” and longtime friend Liam Payne.
Payne died on Oct. 16 after falling from the balcony of a hotel’s third floor in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 31-year-old died of “polytrauma and internal and external bleeding,” the Argentina National Prosecutor’s Office shared from his autopsy report in a press release obtained by TODAY.com.
In an lengthy Instagram post on Oct. 17, Tomlinson shared a photo of the two onstage, writing that he is “beyond devastated” about losing his brother. He also wrote a special message dedicated to his former One Direction bandmate about always being there for Payne’s son, Bear.
“I am beyond devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother. Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul,” he wrote. “I first met Liam when he was 16 and I was 18, I was instantly amazed by his voice but more importantly as time went on I got a chance to see the kind brother I’d longed all my life for.”
Tomlinson said that Payne was an incredible songwriter “with a great sense of melody, we often spoke of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band.”
He continued, “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. Thank you for shaping us Liam.”
Tomlinson also added a message to Payne, writing, “I feel beyond lucky to have had you in my life but I’m really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye. I’m so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours , reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I’d have with you for life. I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn’t to be.”
He continued that he wants Payne to know that if his son, Bear, ever needs him, he will be the uncle he “needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was. I wish I got chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you.”
He signed his message, “Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well X.”
Tomlinson and Payne met in 2010 when they competed on the UK’s “The X Factor.” Though they auditioned separately, Simon Cowell and the judges decided to put them, along with Niall Horan, Harry Styles and Zayn Malik in a group together. They would go on to become One Direction, a massively successful boy band. The group went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.
Payne, on his end, shared his 7-year-old son with ex-girlfriend, singer and TV personality, Cheryl Cole.
Cole has yet to release a statement. However, Payne’s family issued a statement expressing how “heartbroken” they were over the tragic news.
Payne’s death is still under investigation. On Oct. 16, the Sistema de Atencio Medica de Emergencia confirmed Payne’s death with Telemundo, part of NBCUniversal, saying in part that the singer died “after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Palermo,” and that the incident came after the hotel called 911 to report “an aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
Payne previous opened up about his struggles with addiction, sharing in 2023 that he spent 100 days in rehab.
According to the prosecutor’s office, an analysis will be requested to determine if there was alcohol or drugs in his stomach and blood at the time of his death.
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