Zayn Malik Remembers Liam Payne in Emotional Tribute: ‘I Never Got to Thank You’

Zayn Malik is reminiscing on his memories with his late One Direction bandmate Liam Payne. In a heartfelt tribute posted to Instagram Thursday, a day after Payne’s death at 31, Malik honored Payne and remembered his support and “reassuring smile” while in One Direction.

“Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but think selfishly that there were so many more conversations for us to have in our lives,” Malik wrote. “I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life. When I was missing home as a 17-year-old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were my friend and that I was loved.”

“Even though you were younger than me you were always more sensible than me, you were headstrong, opinionated, and gave no fucks about telling people when they were wrong,” Malike continued. “Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, I always secretly respected you for it.”

Malik continued by remembering Payne’s professionalism when they were placed in One Direction, and how he was the “most qualified in every sense” to be in the group. “I was always happy to know, no matter what happened on stage we could always rely on you to know which way to steer the ship next,” he said.

“I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what l’d give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly,” Malik added. “I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever.”

Malik ended his post by saying he hoped Payne is “good and at peace.” He paired the post with a throwback photo of the two of them sleeping on a car ride, writing in the caption, “Love you bro.”

The tribute from Malik came just minutes after Louis Tomlinson remembered Payne as the “most vital part” of One Direction, sharing that he was “really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye.” Malik, Tomlinson and 1D bandmates Harry Styles and Niall Horan issued a joint statement earlier, saying they were “completely devastated” by the news of Payne’s death.

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“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 band wrote. “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.”

Earlier on Thursday, the prosecutor’s office in Argentina shared a post-autopsy report revealing that Payne died of multiple traumas, internal and external bleeding, and a cranial injury as a result of his fall.