Niall Horan has shared a deeply emotional tribute to his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, who died at the age of 31 in Buenos Aires. In a heartfelt social media post, Horan described his devastation and recalled their final moments together.
Horan wrote: 'I'm absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn't feel real. Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure.'
Reflecting on their bond, Horan added: 'We got to live out 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.' He revealed that their last hug was a heartbreaking goodbye, saying: 'I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn't know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever.'
Payne died after falling from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires. He had been in the city to attend Horan's concert two weeks prior, where he was seen dancing with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy. In a Snapchat update before his death, Payne mentioned he and Horan had 'a lot to talk about' but insisted there were 'no bad vibes'.
Payne's family said they were 'heartbroken', while his One Direction bandmates issued a joint statement expressing they were 'completely devastated' and would miss him 'terribly'. The band, formed on The X Factor, achieved five chart-topping albums and four number one UK singles.
