Following the tragic death of One Direction alum Liam Payne, his bandmate Niall Horan’s brother Greg Horan paid his respects to the late singer on social media.
Niall Horan’s brother Greg Horan is paying tribute to Liam Payne.
Greg—whose younger brother was a member of One Direction alongside Liam, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik—honored the late singer on social media following his tragic death Oct. 16 in Argentina.
“To say I’m heartbroken is an understatement,” he wrote in an Instagram post Oct. 17. “You are only one of 4 lads I was happy enough to take my place in Niall’s life as a brother.”
Greg also offered condolences to Liam’s loved ones, including his and ex Cheryl Cole’s 7-year-old son Bear, adding, “My heart goes out to your family parents and sisters and your son Bear and your 1D brothers.”
“Thank you for all the laughs bro,” he concluded. “Watch down on the all your family and mind them lots of love kiddo x x x 1D 4 LIFE x x x.”
Hours after Greg’s post, the remaining band members—who were brought together on The X Factor in 2010—released a joint statement on Instagram, saying they were “completely devastated” by the tragic loss.
“In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say,” Harry, Louis, Zayn and Niall said in their Oct. 17 statement. “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,” the bandmates continued. “For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly.”
Louis also shared a tribute of his own, offering a personal message to his late friend alongside a photo of himself onstage with Liam.
(inset: Instagram/Greg Horan)“If you’re listening, I feel beyond lucky to have had you in my life,” he wrote on Instagram. “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.”
Later, Zayn—who left the group in 2015, shortly before the band announced an indefinite hiatus—reflected on the loss in his own Instagram post.
“I lost a brother when you left us,” he wrote, “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,” the “Pillowtalk” singer continued. “There is no words that justify or explain how I feel right now other than beyond devastated.”
