Celebrity News November 20, 2024
Liam Payne’s One Direction Bandmates Attend His Private Funeral in England
Liam Payne’s family and friends gathered at St Mary's Church in Amersham, England, Wednesday for the singer’s private funeral.
Payne’s One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan attended the somber event.
Many of them wore dark suits and sunglasses as they made their way to the service.
Liam’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy was seen walking with Elizabeth Hurley's son Damian.
Cheryl Cole, Payne's ex and the mother of his son Bear, was also among the mourners, along with her Girls Aloud bandmates Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh.
Comedian James Corden looked downcast as he attended the services, as did Simon Cowell and his partner Lauren Silverman.
A horse-drawn carriage carried Payne’s casket to the church. Atop the casket were white flowers and a floral sign in red that said “Son.” At another point, someone was photographed carrying a floral arrangement that spelled out “Daddy” through the churchyard
Liam, 31, died October 16 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
Payne’s body was held in Argentina for several weeks while authorities were waiting until toxicology tests to be completed before his family was able to bring him home earlier this month.
Following his death, One Direction released a joint statement on Instagram that read, “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. 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.”
The group continued, “The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us.”
“We will miss him terribly,” they said, adding, “We love you Liam.”
The message was signed, “Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry.”
The first individual band member to speak out about Liam’s death was Louis.
He wrote, in part, on Instagram, “I am beyond devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother. Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul.” Read his full message here.
Later in the day, Zayn posted a photo of himself and Liam napping while on tour, captioning it, "Love You Bro ❤️," along with his own long note. Read his message here.
Styles then shared on Instagram, “I am truly devastated by Liam’s passing. His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honor to be alongside him as he did it.” Read his message here.
Liam had been in Buenos Aires to see Niall's show in early October. Horan also posted on Instagram, writing of the last time he saw Liam, “I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.” Read his full message here.