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One Direction Reunites at Late Band Member Liam Payne’s Funeral 1 Month After His Death
Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson reunited at the funeral of late One Direction band member Liam Payne on Wednesday, November 20.
Horan, Styles, Malik and Tomlinson were photographed outside the church with other attendees as they made their way into the private ceremony. Payne’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, was also photographed while walking into the church.
Payne, aged 31, died on October 16 after falling from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The singer sustained “very serious injuries” from the fall, In Touch confirmed.
“Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” his family said in a statement, per the BBC, following his death. “We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
One Direction formed in 2010 on The X Factor, with the group skyrocketing to fame on the show and beyond, releasing five studio albums until disbanding in 2016.
The group’s members spoke out in a joint statement on October 17 following Payne’s death.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” the statement said. “In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.”
According to his autopsy, Payne had a “pink cocaine” drug cocktail in his system, as well as benzodiazepine and crack.
The group members also spoke out in individual statements in the days following Payne’s death.
“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,” Malik wrote on Instagram on October 17. “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 said. “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.”
Malik said that he “lost a brother” and he would give anything 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.”
“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 concluded. “I hope that wherever you are right now you are good and are at peace and you know how loved you are.”
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