One Direction alum Louis Tomlinson recalled time spent with Liam Payne and promised to be the “uncle” his son, Bear, needed in a touching tribute. The former band members each dropped a heartfelt message following Payne’s tragic passing on Wednesday in a Buenos Aires hotel. The 31-year-old reportedly died after falling from a third-floor balcony.
Besides their tributes, the former 1D members also released a joint statement on the band’s official Instagram account. It stated they were “completely devasted by the news” of Payne’s passing and referred to him as a “brother” who was “loved dearly.” They also promised to share the memories of their glory days “forever.”
One Direction alum Louis Tomlinson promises to be Liam Payne’s son’s ‘uncle’
Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne’s former bandmate, said he was “beyond devasted” to be writing about his death. He addressed Payne as his “brother” throughout the emotional and lengthy tribute and described him as “a positive, funny, and kind soul” and “somebody I looked up to everyday.” Tomlison met Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik in 2010 on “X Factor.” Soon, they formed One Direction and went on to become a record-breaking boy band until their breakup in 2016.
In the tribute, Tomlinson promised to be “the Uncle” to Payne’s 7-year-old son, Bear, despite “struggling with the idea of saying goodbye” to Payne. Then, in his personal “message” to Payne, he assured the late singer that he would tell Bear about the “stories of how amazing his dad was.” The “Always You” singer continued his message about becoming “even closer” to his former bandmate after One Direction split. He shared how they spoke on the “phone for hours” and reminisced “all the thousands of amazing memories.”
Louis Tomlinson also opened up about the plans he had with Liam Payne in his tribute. He revealed they frequently spoke about “getting back in the studio together” and how he would have loved to share the stage with Payne one last time, but “it wasn’t to be.” The 32-year-old thanked Payne for “shaping” One Direction and being one of the most “vital” parts of the iconic boy band.
Finally, Tomlinson regretted not getting the chance to say goodbye to “one of my best friends” and to tell him one last time how much he “loved” Payne.
