Harry Styles is honoring his friend and former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne after his death with a heartfelt statement. Payne after falling off a third floor balcony hotel while in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Oct. 16.
Following a , as well as individual tributes and , Styles also shared a to Payne. He included a photo of Payne sitting on stage, looking at the crowd. "I am truly devastated by Liam's passing.
His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it," the statement begins. "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.
" Styles continues, "The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend." The singer adds that his heart breaks for Payne's family, "Karen, Geogg, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear.
" As well as "those around the world who knew and loved him, as I did." Styles and Payne became friends when they auditioned for the UK’s “The X-Factor.” While they auditioned as solo artists, Simon Cowell and the judges decided to group Styles, Payne, Malik, Tomlinson and Niall Horan into one boy band.
As they created One Direction, they came in third place but would go on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. The group, however, went on indefinite hiatus in 2016 with each member embarking on their own solo career. Police.
