After news broke that Liam Payne has died, fans and fellow artists shared stories and memories of the beloved One Direction star.
And then Zayn Malik got involved.
It is no secret that the former bandmates had a relationship full of disagreements and, in one case, violence.
But that’s in the past, and at the moment, Zayn feels only love and sadness for Liam.
zayn respects liam payne with beautiful tribute
Shortly after the band released their joint statement, Zayn posted his own tribute on Instagram.
He shared a letter written directly to Liam, in which he shared all his feelings and thoughts for his friend, knowing full well that he was used to “butting heads”:
“Liam, I find myself talking to you out loud, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but selfishly think that there are so many more conversations to be had in our lives.
I never got a chance to thank you for supporting me through some of the toughest times of my life. When I was a 17-year-old kid who was homesick, you were always there with a positive attitude and reassuring smile letting me know you were my friend and that I was loved.
Then he addresses the elephant in the room, at a time when they didn’t always meet face to face.
“Even though you were younger than me, you were always smarter than me, you were stubborn, opinionated, and didn’t hesitate to tell people when they were wrong. Although we butted heads many times because of this, I always secretly respected you for it.
“I am always with you in my heart”
He continued:
“When it came to music, Liam, you were the best in every sense of the word. I didn’t know anything compared to this, I was a newbie kid with no experience and you were already a professional. I was always happy to know that, no matter what was happening on stage, we could always count on you knowing where to steer the ship.
I lost a brother when you left us and I can’t tell you what I would do to hug you one last time and say goodbye properly and tell you that I loved you so much and respected you so much. I will always cherish all the memories we have with you in my heart, there are no words that can express or explain how I feel right now, except that I am completely devastated.
He ended his letter with a simple wish for Liam:
“I hope wherever you are right now you are well and at peace and you know how loved you are.
Love you brother.”
Liam and Zayn’s complicated relationship
It’s no secret among One Direction fans that Liam and Zayn have never had the easiest relationship.
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 also recounted an incident where the pair came to blows.
“It was well known within the band that I didn’t like to take s–,” Liam shared. “There was a moment when there was an argument backstage and one member, in particular, threw me against the wall. So I said to him, ‘If you don’t take those hands off, there’s a good chance you’ll never use them again.’
Later, she spoke directly on Zain and gave a deeper glimpse into their relationship.
“There are a lot of reasons why I dislike Zayn and there are a lot of reasons why I will always be on his side,” Liam said at the time. “If I had to go through everything he went through, his growth and whatever. My parents are extremely supportive, to the point where sometimes it’s annoying, and Zayn’s upbringing was different in that sense.
Later, when there was outrage over the interview, especially from Zayn’s fans, Liam once again expressed his feelings.
“I was saying there will always be things we disagree on but I will always, always be on his side. That’s family. Zain is my brother and I will always stand by him,” he said.
Liam’s untimely death
It is terrible to lose a beautiful soul like Liam, especially at such a young age.
The former boy bander died outside a hotel in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires. Local police confirmed on Wednesday that Liam was found dead after falling from the balcony of his third-floor hotel room.
In a statement, capital police said they were called to the hotel in Palermo, a leafy area of the capital, where they were informed of an “aggressive individual who may be under the influence of drugs and alcohol.”
Liam had been honest throughout the years about his troubles with alcohol addiction. However, in several videos he posted to his Snapchat Story in the hours before his shocking death, Liam looked at peace and happy.
In one of the since-deleted photos, he also shared with his fans that he was having a “lovely day” in Argentina spending time with girlfriend Kate Cassidy.
An incredibly terrifying moment was captured on film, knowing how the day would end for him.