Liam Payne’s family has issued a statement about his death.
“We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” the former One Direction singer’s family said in an Oct. 17 statement shared via a spokeswoman to the PA news agency.
“We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time,” the statement concluded.
Payne died at 31 on Oct. 16 after falling from the third floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
His death is still under investigation. Pablo Policicchio, communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, told the Associated Press that Payne had "jumped from the balcony of his room."
The singer rose to fame as a member of the boy band One Direction alongside band members Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik.
Styles’ mother, Anne Twist, paid tribute to Payne on Instagram.
“Just a boy … “ she wrote in an Oct. 17 post, along with a broken heart emoji.
After One Direction went on hiatus, Payne released a solo album, “LP1,” in 2019, as well as two EPs, 2018’s “First Time” and 2020’s “Midnight Hour," which he made with Alesso.
Payne is survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, as well as two sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
He is also survived by his 7-year-old son, Bear, whom he welcomed with his ex-girlfriend, Cheryl Cole, in March 2017.
He and Cole parted ways in 2018 but continued to co-parent Bear.
Payne once opened up about how much he loved making music for his son.
“For me, I love making great music for my fans. But when you make something that your son loves, it’s the best thing ever,” he said in a 2018 interview with People.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
