Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of death
Friends and family of late musician Liam Payne paid tribute to him at an emotional funeral service near London. Several fans gathered outside the venue to bid their beloved One Direction alum adieu. On Wednesday, November 20, Payne’s loved ones, including Kate Cassidy — his girlfriend until his death — and his former One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan, attended the memorial service.
Payne’s friend and former talk show host James Corden was also present, along with Simon Cowell, who helped launch the band’s career on The X Factor in 2010, and his fiancé Lauren Silverman. The Night Changes singer’s parents, Geoff and Karen Payne appeared emotional during the funeral procession as they walked behind their son’s casket.
Payne’s seven-year-old son Bear was not spotted at the funeral, but someone held a flower bouquet that spelled “Daddy” as a symbol of tribute from him.
Payne’s former partner, the Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Tweedy, with whom he shared his son, was also present at the funeral. The late singer passed away after accidentally falling from the third floor of a hotel building in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Later, the toxicology reports revealed that he was under the influence of “alcohol, cocaine, and prescription antidepressants,” and the prosecutors ruled out third-party involvement. The cause of death was reported to be “multiple trauma” and “internal and external hemorrhage” caused by his fall.
He was on a staycation in Argentina with his girlfriend, who flew back home a few days before the tragic incident occurred. A source close to Cassidy told People magazine that Payne’s “erratic behavior started ramping up” when she left their vacation.
In October 2023, the late singer’s father traveled to Argentina to cooperate with the investigating authorities. According to Buenos Aires police, Payne’s hotel room was “in total disorder” after his death. Moreover, minutes before his accident, the hotel staff alerted emergency services, reporting in a 911 call that a guest (Payne) had been “trashing the room.”
His tragic demise sent shockwaves across the world, and heartfelt tributes in the name of Payne started pouring from his industry mates, including his former bandmates, who reunited at the funeral to say their final goodbyes.
