Liam Payne: Heartbreaking tributes pour in from Charlie Puth, Rita Ora, and more stars

Buenos Aires, Argentina - In the wake of Liam Payne's sudden death, heartbreaking tributes have poured in as fans and celebrities alike honor the memory of the former One Direction star.

In the wake of Liam Payne's death, heartbreaking tributes have poured in as fans and celebrities alike honor the memory of the former One Direction star.
In the wake of Liam Payne's death, heartbreaking tributes have poured in as fans and celebrities alike honor the memory of the former One Direction star.  © Tolga Akmen / AFP

Payne died Wednesday in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the age of 31 after falling three stories at his hotel in Palermo.

Authorities have not yet determined whether the fall was intentional or accidental, but TMZ reported that the singer had "destroyed" his hotel room, and employees described him as "overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol" in the hours before his death.

After the news broke, social media was flooded with messages of shock and heartbreak from fans around the world.

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Celebrities joined in on paying tribute as well, with Paris Hilton writing on X, "So upsetting to hear the news of @LiamPayne passing Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. RIP my friend."

Music producer Zedd also penned a message on X, writing, "RIP Liam… I can't believe this is real… absolutely heartbreaking …"

Singer Charlie Puth shared an old photo with Payne on his Instagram, but did not include a caption. On his story, Puth said he was "in shock" and added, "He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I can not believe he is gone..."

During a concert in Japan on Thursday, Rita Ora performed For You – a collaboration with Payne – but struggled to hold back tears. She took to Instagram after the show to share several old photos of the pair and wrote, "I'm devastated. He had the kindest soul, I will never forget."

Payne's former bandmates – Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson – have all yet to comment on his death, but Styles' mom, Anne Twist, did share a particularly heartwrenching message to her Instagram page.

Has the rest of One Direction responded to Liam Payne's death?

(From l. to r.) Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Harry Styles first joined forces as One Direction in 2010.
(From l. to r.) Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Harry Styles first joined forces as One Direction in 2010.  © IMAGO / MediaPunch

"Just a boy..." Twist wrote under a photo of a broken heart emoji.

Horan's brother, Greg, said he was "heartbroken" as he shared a tribute of his own, writing, "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."

Earlier this month, Payne reunited with Horan at the 31-year-old's performance in Buenos Aires.

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Since One Direction's breakup in 2015, all five members have embarked on solo music careers.

Despite growing apart over the years, the bandmates have largely seemed cordial – though Payne had previously landed in hot water for taking a public dig at Malik in 2022.

However, the following year, Horan revealed that the ex-boy banders had been reconnecting in a new group chat.

Styles last discussed a potential One Direction reunion in an interview in April 2023, where he said, "If there was a time where we wanted to do it, I don't see why we wouldn't."

Cover photo: Tolga Akmen / AFP

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