‘s One Direction bandmates members reunited at the singer’s funeral on Wednesday, November 20.
Photos from the somber event showed , , and all arriving at the private funeral being held in Amersham, England. One image showed Malik, 31, and Tomlinson, 32, walking together. This is the first time the four remaining band members have been together since Malik left the group in March 2015.
Payne died on October 16 after a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Us Weekly previously confirmed. He was 31. Payne’s former bandmates released a joint statement the day after his death.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say,” the remaining members of One Direction said on October 17. “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. We love you Liam.”
Each of the former boy-banders subsequently shared personal statements about Payne via their Instagram accounts.
“I feel beyond lucky to have had you in my life but I’m really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye,” Tomlinson wrote. “I’m so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours, reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I’d have with you for life. I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn’t to be.”
“I wish I got [the] chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you,” he added. “Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well X.”
Malik was the next to share a tribute to Payne. “I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what I’d give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly. I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever,” he wrote. “There [are] no words that justify or explain how I feel right now other than beyond devastated. I hope that wherever you are right now you are good and are at peace and you know how loved you are. Love you bro.”
Styles, 30, then paid his respects. “I am truly devastated by Liam’s passing,” he shared. “His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honor to be alongside him as he did it.”
He continued: “The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend.”
For his part, Horan, 31, reflected on his memories with Payne, including their recent interaction at Horan’s Buenos Aires concert earlier in October. “I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real,” he noted. “We got to live out our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime.”
“I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking,” Horan added. “Thank you for everything, Payno. Love you brother.”
One Direction was formed on the U.K. edition of The X Factor in 2010. The band went on to release five studio albums from 2011 to 2015. After Malik’s 2015 departure from the group, the remaining members went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016 and pursued solo careers in the years that followed.
