One Direction Members Attend Liam Payne’s Memorial Service

The members of One Direction have reunited for Liam Payne’s funeral. On the morning of Nov. 20, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson were seen arriving at the memorial service of their former bandmate, which took place in the English countryside at St. Mary's Church in Amersham.

Simon Cowell, who helped formed the boy band in 2010 on The X-Factor, was in attendance and seen embracing Payne’s parents, Geoff and Karen, as they left the church. British singer Cheryl, the mother of Payne’s 7-year-old son, Bear, was also present along with her Girls Aloud bandmates Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh.

Other celebrity guests included James Corden, a longtime friend of 1D, and Kate Cassidy, Payne’s girlfriend at the time of his death, who attended with her friend Damian Hurley.

Payne died on Oct. 16 at 31 years old after falling multiple stories from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His exact cause of death has yet to be confirmed and is currently being investigated by Argentinean authorities.

One Direction’s Tributes

A day after Payne’s death, the members of One Direction — including Malik, who left the group in 2015 — issued a joint statement saying they were “completely devastated” by the loss of their bandmate.

“In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say,” they wrote. “But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. 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.”

In the following days, each member penned their own tribute to Payne on social media. Horan, who was with Payne in Argentina days before his death, recalled their last moments together. “I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently,” he wrote. “I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.”

Styles shared a photo of Payne sitting onstage and singing to the crowd on Instagram. “His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it,” he wrote. “Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve, he had an energy for life that was infectious. He was warm, supportive, and incredibly loving.”

Malik, who postponed the U.S. leg of his upcoming tour in light of Payne’s death and pushed back his UK shows to attend his funeral, posted a particularly emotional tribute to Instagram, saying he’d been speaking out loud to Payne.

“I can’t help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives,” he 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.”

Tomlinson was the first to speak out after Payne’s death, calling him “the most vital part of One Direction” and making a sweet promise to be there for Payne’s son. “I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was,” he wrote. “Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well.”