After news broke that Liam Payne had died, fans and fellow artists alike shared stories and memories of the beloved One Direction star.
And then Zayn Malik join in.
It’s no secret that the former band mates had a relationship fraught with disagreements and in one instance even violence.
But that’s in the past, and in the moment, all Zayn feels for Liam is love and grief.
Zayn Honors Liam Payne With Beautiful Tribute
Shortly after the band released their joint statement, Zayn took to Instagram to pay tribute on his own.
He shared a letter written directly to Liam, sharing all the feelings and thoughts he had for his friend, knowing full well they used to “butt heads”:
“Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives.
I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life. When I was missing home as a 17 yr old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were my friend and that I was loved.”
He then address the elephant in the room, the times that they didn’t always see eye to eye.
“Even though you were younger than me you were always more sensible than me, you were headstrong, opinionated, and gave no fucks about telling people when they were wrong. Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, I always secretly respected you for it.”
“I have with you in my heart forever”
He continued:
“When it came to the music Liam, you were the most qualified in every sense. I knew nothing in comparison, I was a novice child with no experience and you were already a professional. I was always happy to know, no matter what happened on stage we could always rely on you know which way to steer the ship next.
I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what l’d give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly. I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever, there is no words that justify or explain how I feel right now other than beyond devastated.”
He ended his letter with a simple wish for Liam:
“I hope that wherever you are right now you are good and are at peace and you know how loved you are.
Love you bro.”
Liam & Zayn’s Complicated Relationship
It’s no secret amongst fans of One Direction that Liam and Zayn never had the easiest of relationships.
After Zayn left the group in 2015, there was a lot of resentment and a lot of bitterness.
In a podcast with Logan Paul in 2022, Liam even alluded to an incident where the pair came to blows.
“It was well-known within the band that I don’t like taking s—-,” Liam shared. “There was one moment where there was an argument backstage and one member, in particular, threw me up a wall. So I said to him, ‘If you don’t remove those hands there’s a high likelihood you’ll never use them again.’”
Later on, he spoke on Zayn directly, and offered a deeper glimpse into their relationship.
“There are many reasons I dislike Zayn and there are many reasons why I’ll always be on his side,” Liam began at the time. “If I had had to go through what he went through, through his growth and whatever else. My parents are overly supportive, to the point where it’s annoying at times, and Zayn had a different upbringing in that sense.”
Later, when there was outrage over the interview, particularly from Zayn’s fans, Liam offered up his feelings once more.
“I was saying that there will always be things we disagree on but that I will always, always be on his side. That’s family. Zayn is my brother and I will stand by him forever,” he said.
Liam’s Untimely Death
A beautiful soul like Liam’s is horrible to lose, especially at such a young age.
The former boy bander died outside a hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires. Local police confirmed on Wednesday that Liam was found dead after falling from his third floor hotel room balcony.
In a statement, the capital police said they were called to the hotel in the capital’s leafy Palermo neighborhood where they were notified of an “aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol.”
Liam had been honest over the years of his troubles with alcoholism. However, in the several videos he posted to his Snapchat Story in the hours leading up to his shocking death, Liam looked at peace and happy.
In one of the since-deleted snaps, he even shared with his fans he was having a “lovely day” while spending time with girlfriend Kate Cassidy in Argentina.
An incredibly eerie moment captured on film, knowing just how the day would end for him.