Liam Payne helped One Direction—including fellow former members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson—become one of the biggest boy bands in history with more than 70 million records sold. But with the tragic news of Payne’s death on Wednesday, friends and fans are reflecting on the sometimes rocky friendships among the former pop group.
Payne, who unexpectedly died at age 31 after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was a member of One Direction from its inception on the TV competition show The X Factor in 2010. The group appeared to get along from the get-go as its first four albums debuted at No. 1 and songs like “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Story of My Life” became big hits. But behind the scenes, Payne and his bandmates had their share of disagreements before and after One Direction disbanded in 2016.
“I think people have a misconception that we were all just massive mates and whatever else; it’s not the case. But, you know, there’s no bad blood between anyone,” he told TV program Sunday Brunch in 2019. Ultimately, Payne, who admitted to drug and alcohol abuse during his time in the band and after, credited the group for coming to his aid “when I needed them most.”
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” said Tomlinson, Styles, Malik, and Horan in a joint statement Thursday. “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.”
Here’s what we know about where Payne’s relationships with other One Direction members stood before his untimely death.
In 2023, Payne credited Louis Tomlinson for saving his life
Of all his One Direction bandmates, Payne, from Wolverhampton, England, eventually became closest with Tomlinson. But it didn’t start out that way.
Per Us Weekly, Payne told ET Canada in October 2021 that the two didn’t get along following One Direction’s formation. He later said during a 2022 appearance on the Impaulsive podcast that Tomlinson’s “wild” spirit generated friction between them. “Like, [we] come-to-blows hated each other. It was close,” Payne said.
Over the years, their relationship evolved. “Now we are actually the best of friends within the band, which I think is absolutely hilarious,” Payne said in 2021. “I think even in those moments of angst, it breathes a connection between you both.”
After the band went on indefinite hiatus in 2016, Tomlinson experienced a pair of personal tragedies. His mother, Johannah, died from leukemia in 2016, while his younger sister Félicité died of an accidental overdose in March 2019. He discussed his family in the 2023 documentary All of Those Voices, about his life and career.
Payne attended the premiere and promised to “try and make amends” to Tomlinson after not being there for his friend amid his own health struggles. “I’m so thankful to have you in my life mate,” Payne wrote. “I feel so lucky and I know you know this but you were part of a small group of people that literally saved my life, you dragged me out of something so dark I’ve never shared it.”
Payne reportedly had a backstage fight with Zayn Malik
Similar to Tomlinson, Payne’s relationship with Malik had its share of ups and downs.
Malik became the first member to leave One Direction in 2015, citing a desire to live a more normal life out of the spotlight. However, he later revealed tension within the band was a contributing factor. “There was obviously underlying issues within our friendships, too. We’d got sick of each other, if I’m being completely honest,” Malik told Variety.
Payne found Malik’s exit difficult to move past, alleging in a 2019 interview with British GQ that Malik never formally said goodbye to the group. Then in 2022, Payne claimed a band member had thrown him against a wall during a backstage confrontation years prior. His ex-fiancée Maya Henry told fans in a recent TikTok video the other person in the scuffle was Malik.
Also during his 2022 Impaulsive interview, Payne detailed the love-hate nature of their bond. “There are many reasons I dislike Zayn, and there are many reasons why I’ll always be on his side,” he said. “You can always look at the man for where he is and say, ‘That guy’s a d—,’ but at the end of the day, what you understand, what he’s had to get through to get to that point and whether or not he wanted to be there, I can’t d— on him.”
Payne later apologized, saying he attended rehab following the appearance and attributed the comments to frustrations with his own career.
Payne and Harry Styles went 3 years without speaking
Following the band’s breakup in 2016, Payne sparked rumors of a rift between himself and Styles when he took an apparent jab at “Sign of the Times,” the latter’s debut single in 2017. “I’ll be honest with you, it’s not my sort of music, so it’s not something that I would listen to, but I think he did a great job of doing what he wanted to do,” Payne told Music Choice. In a separate interview, Payne highlighted his musical differences with Styles, calling himself “the anti-Christ version of what Harry is.”
While it’s not clear if there was any true animosity between them, Payne told Sunday Brunch he hadn’t seen or spoken to Styles for three years prior to a 2019 interaction. “It was really nice. I mean, he was still the same boy as when I had left him, actually, which is really sweet, but obviously you know just different with age and whatever else,” Payne explained.
In more recent years, Payne was public about his admiration for his former bandmate. When Styles won a pair of Grammy Awards in 2023, including Album of the Year for Harry’s House, Payne congratulated him in a lengthy Instagram post.
According to Us Weekly, Payne also said Styles had developed a “sixth sense” about his personal struggles and knew when to check on him. “I’ve got a lot of love for the man. He’s great, he’s really, really great,” Payne said in 2021.
Payne attended Niall Horan’s concert earlier this month
While his relationship with Horan made fewer headlines, it’s clear Payne continued to support the “Slow Hands” singer on his solo journey.
One of Payne’s final public appearances was in Argentina on October 2, when the singer and his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, attended Horan’s concert in Buenos Aires. According to E! News, videos from the event showed Payne clapping and dancing in the stands.
Payne said in a Snapchat video posted before the show he hoped to speak with Horan. “I would like to square up a couple things with the boy,” Payne said. “No bad vibes or anything like that, but just we need to talk.” They did meet later that night, with Payne posting a picture of the two and a short caption: “Reunited.”
Sadly, Payne died only two weeks after their wholesome reunion.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
