One Direction's Niall Horan Shares Heartbreaking Tribute to Liam Payne

Niall Horan has penned a heartfelt tribute to his One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, who he was reunited with recently at his Buenos Aires show on October 2.

“I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real,” Horan wrote on his Instagram alongside a photo of the two as teenagers. “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.”

Horan continued, “All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness. 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.”

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Horan saw Payne just two weeks before his death on Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. 

Payne attended Horan’s show in the Argentinian capital and was captured dancing and singing along with his partner, Kate Cassidy. 

The late singer later posted a selfie with Horan on his Snapchat, captioning the photo “Reunited” with a red heart emoji.

“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. It’s heartbreaking,” Horan wrote. “My love and condolences go out to Geoff, Karen, Ruth, Nicola and of course his son Bear. Thank you for everything, Payno. Love you brother.”

Horan was the last of the former One Direction members to post a personal tribute to Payne. 

The band issued a joint statement on its social media on Thursday night, writing: “In time, and when everyone is able to, 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 loved dearly.”

Remembrances from Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Harry Styles followed. “His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honor to be alongside him as he did it,” Styles wrote in his tribute. “Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve, he had an energy for life that was infectious. He was warm, supportive, and incredibly loving. The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life.”