Simon Cowell, who formed One Direction in 2010, has broken his silence after the sudden death of former band member Liam Payne.
“You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens,” Cowell wrote on Instagram Friday. “Liam, I am devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you.”
“I went outside today, and I thought about so many times we had together. I wanted to let you know what I would always say to the thousands of people who would always ask me. What is Liam like? And I would tell them you were kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, focused. And how much you loved music. And how much love you genuinely had for the fans.”
Payne fractured his skull and died instantly of “very serious injuries” when he suddenly plunged from his third-floor hotel balcony in Argentina on Oct. 16. He was 31.
An autopsy showed that he may have been unconscious when he fell. Additionally, two women had been in his room in the hours before his death.
According to the report, his cause of death was “polytrauma, internal and external hemorrhage” and the cranial brain injuries alone would have been enough to cause death. Additionally, he suffered internal and external hemorrhages in the skull, thorax, abdomen and limbs, which “contributed to the mechanism of death.”
One day later, Cowell, 65, announced that auditions for the reality competition show “Britain’s Got Talent” would be postponed in light of the later singer’s death.
“Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, BGT has decided to postpone today’s auditions in Blackpool. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,” Applause store, which sells tickets for the live show’s filming, wrote on X.
A spokesperson for the show’s producer, Freemantle UK, also confirmed the postponement to The Herald, saying, “Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, we have decided to postpone the Britain’s Got Talent auditions.”
Though officials had initally said after the crooner’s death that he had “jumped,” the autopsy report said he had fallen and Communications Director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry Pablo Policicchio told Page Six that investigators are still working to determine if it was an accident or intentional.
Cowell first met Payne on “The X Factor” in 2010 when Payne auditioned for the show. The British personality reflected on meeting him — and having to reject him from the show when he initially auditioned at 14.
“I had to tell you when you were 14 that this wasn’t your time. And we both made a promise that we would meet again. A lot of people would have given up. You didn’t,” he went on in his statement Friday. “You came back and within months the whole world knew Liam. And you never forgot the fans. I watched you spending so much time with people who had wanted to meet you. You really cared.”
“You came to see me last year. Not for a meeting. Just to sit and talk. And we reminisced about all of the fun times we had together,” he continued. “And how proud you were to be a Dad. After you left, I was reminded that you were still the sweet, kind boy I met all of those years ago. I have met your son, Bear. He has your smile and that twinkle in his eyes you have. And he will so proud of everything you achieved. And how you achieved it.”
Cowell would later pair Payne with Zayn Malik, 31, Harry Styles, 30, Niall Horan, 31, and Louis Tomlinson, 32, together to form One Direction.
Though the group placed third on Season 7, they would later go on to be a boyband sensation, releasing five studio albums, countless tours, and a slew of awards and accolades.
“We are heartbroken by the sad passing of Liam Payne,” the official “X Factor” account said in a statement after Payne’s passing.
“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. Our thoughts are with his friends, family and all who loved him,” the statement continued.
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Payne’s family has since spoken out after the singer’s passing as well.
“Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny, and brave soul,” the family said in the statement. “We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
A relative of the family also said they are “utterly devastated,” according to the Daily Mail.
Anne Twist, Styles’ mother, posted a red broken heart on Instagram with the caption, “Just a boy…”
Payne is survived by his 7-year-old son Bear, with whom he shares with British singer Cheryl Cole.
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