5 Seconds of Summer Members Are ‘Heartbroken’ About Liam Payne’s Death: ‘Devastated the World Put That Light Out’

Mar. 15, 2025

5 Seconds of Summer (left) in 2018; One Direction in 2012.Photo:Rohan Kelly/Newspix/Getty; Sam Ruttyn/Newspix/Getty

Rohan Kelly/Newspix/Getty; Sam Ruttyn/Newspix/Getty

The members of5 Seconds of Summerare reflecting on their friendship withLiam Paynefollowinghis Wednesday, Oct. 16, death.

“We love you, Liam, and we will never forget the influence you had on our lives,” read the post fromMichael Clifford, 28,Luke Hemmings, 28,Ashton Irwin, 30, andCalum Hood, 28. “You truly believed in us for that we are forever grateful. We don’t know if we thanked you enough.”

“You were always so kind to us. It was an honor to begin our journey with you, we will never forget your presence in our lives,” the band continued. “There was such a bright light in you, we always saw that. We are so devastated the world put that light out.”

The group also shared a photo of all 9 members of both One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer posing together backstage at a concert.

One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer in a photo 5SOS shared on Oct. 18, 2024.5 Seconds of Summer/Instagram

5 Seconds of Summer/Instagram

The group concluded its post: “We hope you’ll always be singing up there,” before signing their first names alongside the phrase, “With all of our love.”

5 Seconds of Summerfirst garnered international attention just two years after its formation when One Direction invited them to open for their Take Me Home Tour in 2013, the boy band’s second worldwide tour, after One Direction memberLouis Tomlinsondiscovered them on YouTube.

The Australian band went on to open for One Direction again during the Where We Are Tour in 2014, playing dates in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Europe. At one point in 2013, Payne and Tomlinson werebusiness associateswith 5SOS, perBillboard, although the pair later resigned from the band’s production company in 2015.

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5SOS shares statement on Oct. 18, 2024, about Liam Payne’s death.5 Seconds of Summer/Instagram

On Oct. 16, Payne waspronounced deadafterfalling multiple storiesat the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Policía Federal Argentina confirmed to PEOPLE. Argentine news channelTNwas first to report the news.

In a statement translated from Spanish, Alberto Crescenti (the head of SAME, Buenos Aires' public emergency medical services system) told TN that the British artist fell into the hotel’s internal courtyard.

Payne’sfriends, family members and fellow musicianshave opened up about their relationships with the singer since his death, including theother members of One Direction, his exCheryl— with whom heshared 7-year-old sonBear, and his girlfriendKate Cassidy.

On Thursday, Oct. 17, the surviving band members — including Tomlinson,Harry Styles,Zayn MalikandNiall Horan— shared ajoint statement on Instagramthat said they are processing “the loss of our brother.”

The statement continued, in part: “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.”

source: people.com