Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik share their sadness after One Direction’s Liam Payne’s statement

2:08 PM PT — Zayn Malik has released his own personal tribute to the late One Direction member Liam Payne …expressing his grief in a heartbreaking Instagram upload.

Alongside a photo of himself and Liam seemingly taking a nap during their 1D tours, Zayn shared his regret that he never thanked LP for helping him through “some of the hardest times,” including when he was homesick at age 17 had.

As he continued, Zayn recalled that Liam was “tough” and “quirky,” and admitted that they sometimes “butted heads.” Nevertheless, Zayn said he “secretly respected” Liam for his “no f**ks” attitude.

Zayn signed his note by expressing his love for Liam, who he praised as “the most qualified” musician.

Louis Tomlinson is sharing his grief following the death of former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne… and posting a moving tribute on his social media.

In the wake of Liam’s death in Argentina on Wednesday, Louis posted on Instagram, sharing that he is “beyond devastated” by his colleague’s untimely death.

He wrote… “Yesterday I lost a brother. Liam was someone I looked up to every day, such a positive, funny and kind soul.”

Louis recalled the early days of their friendship, when they first worked together Harry Styles, Niall Horanand Zayn Malik – to form One Direction for the British series ‘The X Factor’.

He noted… “I was immediately amazed by his voice, but more importantly, as time went on, I had the opportunity to see the kind brother I had longed for all my life.”

Louis then praised Liam’s songwriting talent, hinting that he and his late friend had discussed collaborating again in the near future.

He added… “And for the record, Liam was, in my opinion, the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. .Thank you for shaping us, Liam.”

As Louis closed his note, he had a message for the late singer…confessing that he’s “struggling with the idea of ​​saying goodbye.”

He also promised to be present in Liam’s son Bear‘s life… “I’ll be the uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories about how great his dad was.”

In addition to Louis’ personal message, One Direction’s official Instagram account released a statement on behalf of the band’s surviving members.

The note reads… “We are completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take the time to to grieve and process the situation.” loss of our brother, whom we loved dearly.”

The message goes on to say that the band members will cherish their memories of Liam “forever.”

The statement ends … “For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly.”

As TMZ previously reported… Liam died on Wednesday after falling from the balcony of his third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. According to a 911 recordingLiam reportedly had a meltdown while drunk in his hotel room at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel before the fall… and was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Fans, family and famous friends have all since paid tribute to Liam, with many holding a vigil outside his hotel.

He was only 31.

TEAR