The sister of late One Direction star Liam Payne has shared a poignant and heartbreaking tribute on social media, expressing her profound grief and stating that the best of his life was still ahead of him. Ruth Gibbins, 34, posted a moving message to her Instagram Stories, reflecting on the immense loss of her brother who died tragically in October 2025.
A Sister's Heartbreaking Social Media Tribute
On Friday, Ruth Gibbins revisited a moment of family pride, sharing a screenshot from a 2019 Facebook post. The original post celebrated Liam's first solo album release, with Ruth and her elder sister Nicola cheering on their brother. The 2019 caption recounted Liam's journey from a 14-year-old with a dream to a global superstar, noting how the family had 'stood stage side for the last 10 years cheering him on.'
Ruth added a new, devastating caption to this memory, writing: 'Oh mate, the best was yet to come. You're missing so much.' This public expression of sorrow comes just a month after she marked the first anniversary of his funeral, held on November 20 at Saint Mary's Church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.
In that earlier tribute, she shared a photo from Liam's time on The X Factor, writing: 'A year ago today, the hardest goodbye I'll ever have, a funeral I never should have had to plan... Missing him is now part of breathing. It doesn't get easier.' She signed off with the words, 'Infinite love, infinite loss,' capturing the enduring nature of her grief.
Simon Cowell's 'Awful' Reaction to the Tragedy
The news of Liam Payne's death sent shockwaves through the music industry and beyond, profoundly affecting those who knew him from the start of his career. Simon Cowell, the music mogul who helped form One Direction on The X Factor, has spoken publicly about the devastating moment he was told the singer had died at the age of 31.
Speaking on The Interview podcast, Cowell, 66, described the news as 'awful' and compared the shock to hearing of his own father's passing. He recalled a colleague entering his room with a visibly upset expression before breaking the news. 'It was very difficult to put into words how you feel, other than just a shock,' Cowell stated.
His immediate, parental instinct was to reach out. 'I wasn't thinking clearly and I just remember saying "I really need to speak to his mum and dad,"' he explained. 'As a parent, you know what that must have felt like. I knew his mum and dad and I just wanted to reach out in that moment.'
Reflections on Fame and Legacy
Cowell also reflected on a meeting with Liam approximately a year before his death, describing a singer who was 'in a really good place,' having been to the gym and talking positively about his son. Despite this, Cowell admitted to grappling with thoughts of whether he could have done more, a common reflection for those left behind after a tragedy.
'If I could go back in time to that one day that he was in my house... you always think about things like that. "What if I'd said this, what if I'd said that" but there's only so much you can do,' he mused. He highlighted the unique pressures of fame, noting, 'I don't honestly know what is harder, trying to be famous or managing your fame.'
The collective mourning from family and industry figures paints a picture of a talented young man whose life was cut tragically short. Ruth Gibbins's heartfelt posts serve as a powerful reminder of the personal loss behind the public figure, a brother who she believes had so much more to give and experience.
