Pictures show Liam Payne’s father Geoff Payne surrounded by a mob of heartbroken fans at the Buenos Aires hotel where the former boy band singer died after falling from the hotel balcony.
The father of the former One Direction star, 31, traveled from the UK to Argentina to arrange for his son’s body to be returned to England two days after Payne’s tragic death.
On Friday morning he was seen in a navy suit walking from his hotel to the Buenos Aires judicial office, Per TMZThis is the first time a member of Payne’s family has appeared publicly since the star’s death.
Geoff wore a navy suit as he left his hotel.
Penne died on Wednesday after falling from the third floor of his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
It is unclear whether his fall was intentional or accidental. However, an autopsy released Thursday indicated that Payne may have been unconscious at the time of his fatal fall, and witnesses told TMZ that Payne was behaving “erratic” before the fatal incident.
“Liam will always live on in our hearts and we will remember him for his kind, funny and brave spirit,” his family said in a joint statement Thursday.
The former members of One Direction issued a joint statement the same day.
“We are completely heartbroken by the news of Liam’s passing,” read the message from Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, which was obtained by The Post on Thursday.
“With time, and when everyone is able, there will be more to say. But right now, we will take some time to mourn and grieve the loss of our brother, whom we loved very much.
He further added, “The memories we shared with them will be cherished forever. Right now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him along with us. We will miss him dearly. We love you Liam.”
Payne rose to fame after forming the group on “X Factor” in 2010.
Simon Cowell, who discovered the group, shared his sentiments on Friday.
Cowell wrote, “You never really know how you feel about someone until the moment comes.” Instagram“Liam, I am devastated. Heart broken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I shed is a memory of you.
“I went out today, and I thought about how many times we spent together. I wanted to tell you what I would say to the thousands of people who always ask me. How is Liam? And I would tell them that you were kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, focused. And how much you liked music. And how much love you really have for the fans.”
Payne auditioned for the UK singing competition series in 2008, where he met future girlfriend Cheryl Cole. The pair dated from 2016 to 2018 and have a son, Bear, who is now 7 years old.
Cole, now 41, was one of the judges along with Cowell and Louis Walsh, who watched the then 14-year-old Payne. audition for the show For the first time.
“When I’m in school, in general, I think about singing all the time,” Payne told producers before his audition. “I should really focus on my work, but I think about songs too much. It’s a dream and I would love to do it.”
Payne made it to the judges’ house stage segment before Cowell eliminated him.
At the time, Cowell told guest judge Sinitta, “I have a horrible feeling, now I’m going to seriously regret this decision.”
Two years later, Payne returned to “The X Factor” for Season 7. His 2010 auditionThe then-16-year-old performed “Cry Me a River”, inspired by Michael Bublé’s version, in front of Cole, Cowell and the other judges.
“You’ve definitely got it. Whatever it is, you got it,” Cole told Payne. “And I thought your voice was really powerful.”
The group released four albums until Malik announced his departure from the band in March 2015.
during a Interview That same year, Payne said of Malik’s exit: “He had to do what he had to do, really, for himself. It’s okay.”
“We’ll just keep doing what we’re doing. We wish him all the best in whatever he does and puts in his work,” he added. “We’ll just have to see what happens.”
Following Malik’s departure, One Direction went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.
In 2017, Payne said that everything was “well and good” with Malik despite the “Pillowtalk” singer’s negative comments about being part of the band.
Several years before Payne’s death, the singer spoke candidly about his time in One Direction on Jessie Ware’s podcast “table mannersIn 2019.
“There’s no stop button,” he told Ware at the time. “You have no control over your life. That’s why I lost complete control over everything.”
Follow The Post’s coverage of Liam Payne’s tragic death at the age of 31
The “Strip That Down” artist found the split “really scary at first”, but is glad it’s over.
Payne began a solo career in 2019, releasing an album, “LP1”, and said he had begun working on a follow-up.
However, Payne also said that he initially struggled to break the partying and overworking habits he had developed during his time in the group.
The late artist decided, “Either you will become a crazy child actor who will die at any age, or you will live life and actually get on with it.”
(TagstoTranslate)Entertainment(T)Celebrities(T)Boy bands(T)Death(T)Family(T)Liam Payne(T)Musicians(T)One Direction(T)Substance abuse
