Liam Payne’s Family Breaks Silence After His Death: ‘Devastated’

Liam Payne’s family is mourning his death privately but released a brief statement to express their grief over the tragedy.

“We are utterly devastated by the news,” an unidentified family member told The Daily Mail on Thursday, October 17, just one day after Liam, 31, died in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Liam grew up in Codsall, England, with his mom, Karen, and dad, Geoff, as well as two older sisters, Nicola and Ruth. Nicola and Ruth reportedly arrived at the family home on Thursday morning.

“We are heartbroken,” the family added in a later statement, per Daily Mail. “Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”

On Saturday, October 19, Liam’s older sister, Ruth Gibbins, broke her silence about her brother’s death in an emotional letter she shared via Instagram.

“Liam, My brain is struggling to catch up with what’s happening and I don’t understand where you’ve gone. I just want to drive to your house and walk in to music blasting and find you sat there writing a song or walk in to your art phases and sit with you whilst you draw or craft,” Ruth, 33, began. “What I love most about you is your ability to make me laugh, I never chuckle as much as I do when I’m with you with anyone else. I’m always in awe of your talent, it should be illegal to be so talented and just have the ability to not only be good at things but be bloody great at everything you attempt, without even knowing you’re absolutely smashing it each time. I love your kindness and how proud I am to call you my brother and my best friend. You also make a great Sunday dinner too!”

As she continued, Ruth wrote that she didn’t feel as though the “world was good enough or kind enough” to Liam. She said that the pop star had to “really try hard to overcome all that was being aimed” at him throughout the “last few years” and hoped that Liam could “see the outpouring of love” that he “never received in [his] time.”

“Thank you for changing my life, thank you for the incredible memories, thank you for being the best brother and friend I’II ever have! We’ll take care of Bear and he will always know how incredible his Dad is and how much you idolize him,” Ruth concluded. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. Love you, oh how my heart misses you, Ru xXx. One last time I need you to know, l’m here if you need anything, I’d drive to the end of the universe to bring you back.”

Liam died after falling off the third floor balcony of CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, In Touch confirmed. Officials arrived at the hotel after a 911 call was placed, but Liam was already dead in the internal courtyard by the time they arrived.

“There was on possibility of resuscitating him,” authorities confirmed. “He had extremely severe injuries that were incompatible with life due to the fall.”

One day after Liam’s death, Buenos Aires emergency services chief Alberto Crescenti confirmed that he died from “very serious injuries” that he sustained during the fall. “Based on what the team saw, there was apparently a cranial fracture and extremely serious injuries that led to his immediate death.” Crescenti said, per The Sun.

Liam was alone in Argentina at the time of his death. He had arrived in the country more than two weeks prior on September 30 with girlfriend Kate Cassidy. The duo attended Liam’s former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan’s concert on October 2, but Kate, 25, left the country on October 14, just two days before Liam’s death.

Authorities are still waiting for results from an official autopsy and Crescenti would not comment about whether officials believe Liam had drugs or alcohol in his system when he died.

However, the “Strip That Down” singer had previously been open about his struggle with addiction, admitting that he went through a “pills-and-booze” phase while in One Direction. “The problem was, the best way to secure us, because of how big it got, was to lock us in a room. And of course, what’s in the room? A minibar,” he revealed in 2021. “At a certain point, I just thought, ‘Well, I’m going to have a party for one,’ and that just seemed to carry on throughout many years of my life.” Liam said his struggle with drinking continued amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 as well.

In June 2023, the Cosdall, England, native said he was almost six months sober after spending 100 days in rehab. “I just needed to take a little bit of time out for myself actually because I kind of became somebody who I didn’t really recognize anymore,” he shared in a YouTube video. “And I’m sure you guys didn’t either. I was in bad shape up until that point and I was really happy to kind of put a stopper to life and work.”

Liam leaves behind a 7-year-old son, Bear, whom he shared with ex Cheryl (formerly known as Cheryl Cole). The two split in 2018 and he went on to get engaged to Maya Henry. After an on-and-off relationship, the two broke up in 2022 and he began dating Kate later that year.