Robbie Williams has shared a tribute to Liam Payne, following his untimely death at the age of 31.
- READ MORE: Liam Payne 1993-2024: One Direction star who helped spark a pop phenomenon
On Wednesday night (October 16), it was announced that Payne had died after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Per The Guardian, the Argentinian prosecutor’s office revealed that Payne’s cause of death was due to multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding.
Williams has joined those paying tribute to Payne in a statement on his Instagram account, writing that he felt “shock, sadness and confusion” upon learning of his death.
Recalling his experiences as a mentor to Payne’s former band One Direction during their time competing on the X Factor in 2010. Williams wrote: “I use the word mentored in inverted brackets cos I hardly did anything to be honest. I just hung out with them. They were all cheeky and lovely. I enjoyed the light hearted piss takery and thought about all the times I was that cheeky pisstaker with the Popstars that had gone before me when I was in Take That.
“Our paths have crossed ever since that day and I’m fond of them all. Liam’s trials and tribulations were very similar to mine, so it made sense to reach out and offer what I could. So I did.”
The former Take That frontman has previously opened up about his history of self-harm and depression and encouraged people to be more “careful” about the comments they make towards those in the public eye.
Williams went on to say “I still had my demons at 31. I relapsed. I was in pain. I was in pain because I relapsed. I relapsed because of a multitude of painful reasons. I remember Heath Ledger passing and thinking ‘I’m next’. By the grace of god and/or dumb luck I’m still here.
“The internet will unfortunately carry on being the internet. The media will unfortunately carry on being the media and fame will carry on being fame.
“As individuals though we have the power to change ourselves. We can be kinder. We can be more empathic. We can at least try to be more compassionate towards ourselves, our family, our friends, strangers in life and strangers on the internet.”
He continued: “What a Handsome Talented boy. What a tragic painful loss for his friends, family, fans and by the looks of the energy this moment has created – The World.”
Read his full statement below.
Williams joins Sharon Osbourne, Rita Ora, Liam Gallagher and more in paying tribute to Payne.
Katie Waissel, who competed alongside One Direction on the talent show, has also called for more “care and support for young artists” in the wake of Payne’s death. Similarly, Rebecca Ferguson, who finished in second place on the same season of the show, paid tribute to Payne while also speaking out against the “exploitation and profiteering of young stars.”
The X Factor, where Payne rose to prominence as part of One Direction, also shared a message on social media, writing, “He was immensely talented and, as part of One Direction, Liam will leave a lasting legacy on the music industry and fans around the world.”
Yesterday (October 17), One Direction’s surviving members Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles shared a joint statement on Payne’s death, where they expressed their devastation, and that they would need time “to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.”
Styles, Tomlinson and Malik also shared their own individual statements, with Styles writing: “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.”
Styles continued: “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. I will miss him always, my lovely friend.”
“My heart breaks for Karen, Geoff, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear, and all those around the world who knew and loved him, as I did,” Styles concluded.
Payne’s family have also issued a statement, saying: “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
