"Just a boy..." — Harry Styles' mother and Zayn Malik's sister mourn One Direction star Liam Payne after his death at 31

Liam Payne's sudden death brought forth an outpour of grief from his friends, family, and fans. The One Direction alum was reported dead after he fell from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires on October 16, 2024. The singer had recently celebrated his 31st birthday on August 29.

Anne Twist, fellow One Direction member Harry Styles' mother, was among the many who took to social media to mourn Liam Payne. She posted the broken heart emoji on Instagram and captioned it:

"Just a boy…"

Sisters of Liam Payne's former bandmate Zayn Malik also took to social media to express their grief at the former's death. His younger sister, Waliyah, posted a series of photos of her brother with Payne on her Instagram stories.

Malik's elder sister, Doniya, a makeup artist, posted a picture of Payne with the caption, "Heartbroken RIP" on her Instagram stories under her handle @doniyabeauty.

Doniya Malik's story for Liam Payne (Image via Instagram/@doniyabeauty)

On Wednesday, Payne fell to his death from the third story of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. According to Us Weekly, the hotel staff called emergency services regarding an “aggressive man who may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol."

The police later arrived on the scene and confirmed his death, with reports indicating the late singer sustained injuries "incompatible with life due to the fall," leaving no possibility for resuscitation.

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Niall Horan's brother and other celebrities pay tribute to Liam Payne

Earlier this month, Liam Payne was spotted enjoying himself at former bandmate Niall Horan's concert in Argentina on October 2. Following the former's death, Horan's older brother, Greg, took to Instagram to post a tribute to the late singer.

"To say I’m heartbroken is an understatement a weird feeling this morning and all night you were a top young boy to a man a son a brother you are only one of 4 lads I was happy enough to take my place in nialls life as a brother you will be forever missed Liam words can’t describe how much I want to grab my brother and mind him now while the world shows their memories of you and him and the boys," Greg Horan wrote.

The remaining members of One Direction are yet to release a public statement regarding their former bandmate's death.

Liam Payne's loss was felt by many online, including his celebrity friends like Charlie Puth and Olly Murs, among others. Taking to his Instagram story, Puth said he was in shock after hearing about Payne's death, adding the late singer was always kind to him. Further, Olly Murs called the loss "devastating," saying the two shared the same passion and dreams.

"Liam shared the same passions as me, the same dreams so to see his life now end so young hits hard, I’m truly gutted and devastated for his Family and of course his son Bear losing a dad x am thinking of them! RIP Liam," Murs wrote on Instagram.

Record producer Zedd, who previously collaborated with Payne, called the incident "absolutely heartbreaking," while Paris Hilton sent her regards to his family. Liam Payne has a seven-year-old son, Bear, with his former partner Cheryl Cole.

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Liam Payne was one of the five initial members of the boy band One Direction, who got their start on the British reality show The X Factor. The band released five studio albums between 2011 and 2015, before announcing their hiatus after their fifth album came out.

Following the hiatus, each member cultivated their solo careers, including Payne. The late singer released his lone solo album LP1 in 2019.