getty imagesSimon Cowell has paid tribute to One Direction star Liam Payne, saying he is “heartbroken” and feels “empty” following the singer’s death.
Cowell, who put the group together on The X Factor in 2010, remembered Payne as “kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful”. [and] brilliant”.
“Liam, I’m devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty,” he wrote.
Payne, 31, died on Wednesday when he fell from the balcony of a third-floor hotel room where he was staying in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In a post on Instagram, Cowell said, “And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I shed is a memory of you.”
The talent show judge also said that he was thinking about the time they spent together.
“I wanted to tell you what I tell the thousands of people who always ask me. How’s Liam?
“And I would tell them that you were kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, focused. And how much you loved music. And how much love you had for the fans.”
Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy also paid tribute to the star whom she called “my angel”, and said she was “completely shocked”.
“You are everything,” he said in a statement.
“I want you to know that I love you unconditionally and completely. I will love you for the rest of my life.”
getty imagesIn Cowell’s statement, He also recalled Payne’s first
“A lot of people would have given up. You didn’t. You came back and in a few months the whole world would know Liam.”
“And you never forgot the fans. I saw you spend so much time with people who wanted to meet you. You really cared.”
Cowell eventually signed One Direction to his label and heralded their global success before splitting in 2016.
The music mogul also revealed that Payne had met him last year.
He wrote, “Not for a meeting. Just to sit and talk. And remember all the fun times we spent together. And how proud I was to be a father to you.”
“After you left, I remembered that you were still the same sweet, kind boy I met so many years ago.”
He continued, “I have met your son Bear. He has your smile and that twinkle in his eye that you have. And he would be so proud of what you have accomplished. And how did you do it? achieved.”
Cowell’s tribute came after Payne’s former bandmates posted their heartfelt memories.
Cowell added, “I always considered all five of you in the band to be brothers.” “And in relation to his messages today I believe you were.
“And now Liam, I can see the impact you’ve had on so many people. Because you left us too soon.”
Also on Friday, Payne’s bandmate Niall Horan posted a tribute, saying he was “completely devastated” by “the passing of his amazing friend”.
Harry Styles previously said his “heart is broken” for Payne’s family. He added: “His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honor to be with him as he did that.”
Lewis Tomlinson echoed Styles’ sentiments, describing Liam as “the most important part of One Direction” who had “the gift of writing”.
Zayn Malik addressed Payne directly in his statement and praised him for his “positive attitude and reassuring smile.”
Others to post their reactions included another former X Factor judge, Sharon Osbourne, whose message to Payne said the music business had “let you down”.
“Where were these industries when you needed them?” she wrote.
“You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner? Rest in peace, my friend.”
