One Direction reunite at Liam Payne’s private funeral
Written by worldOneFm on November 20, 2024
Liam Payne’s One Direction bandmates paid their last respects to the singer at a private funeral on Wednesday.
The former One Direction star died on 16 October at the age of 31 after falling from a third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After delays due to post-mortem tests, his body was repatriated to the U.K. earlier this month.
Liam was finally laid to rest on Wednesday during a private service held for family and his closest friends at a church in Amersham, England.
Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson were spotted arriving at the church to say goodbye to their former bandmate. The latter three were also photographed standing together admiring the floral tributes outside the building.
In addition, Girls Aloud singers Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts attended the service to support their bandmate Cheryl, who shares a seven-year-old son named Bear with Liam, who she dated between 2016 and 2018.
The Strip That Down singer’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy was also photographed outside the church with Elizabeth Hurley’s son Damian.
Other guests included talk show host James Corden and music mogul Simon Cowell, who put together One Direction on The X Factor in 2010.
The day after Liam’s death, his former bandmates said in a joint statement that they were “completely devastated” by his passing.
“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. We love you Liam,” they wrote.
Liam died from internal and external bleeding and multiple traumatic injuries. Toxicology tests showed traces of alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants in his system at the time of his death.
He was a member of One Direction from 2010 until their hiatus in 2016. He then embarked on a solo career, releasing singles such as Strip That Down, Get Low and For You.
He is survived by his parents Geoff and Karen Payne, sisters Nicola and Ruth and son Bear.
