Just over a month after his death on October 16, Liam Payne’s burial was held in south-east England on Wednesday, November 20. After falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the One Direction member passed away at the age of 31.
Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan, all members of his 1D band, attended the private burial for family and friends only, which was held in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. The attendance also included TV host James Corden, Simon Cowell of The X Factor, and Kate Cassidy, Payne’s partner at the time of his passing.
Payne’s autopsy revealed that his fall caused numerous severe injuries in addition to internal and external bleeding. In order to prepare for the burial, his body was flown back to the United Kingdom early this month. Local officials had already detained the singer’s body while toxicology and other laboratory tests were conducted to ascertain the reason of his death.
In a brief statement following his death, his family said, “We are heartbroken.” Because of his brave, humorous, and loving nature, Liam will always have a place in our hearts. Following Payne’s death, his fellow members of One Direction released a unified statement in which they expressed their shock upon learning of Liam’s death.
“There will be more to say in time, when everyone can,” they added in their message. However, for the time being, we will take some time to mourn and come to terms with the loss of our beloved brother. We shall always cherish the moments we had with him.
In relation to Payne’s collapse, three persons were arrested earlier this month. According to Argentine police, Payne was given drugs before he passed away. A translated copy of the toxicology report states that Payne had “alcohol, cocaine, and prescription antidepressants” in his system in the days before he passed away. His death is still being investigated.
After forming on the television program The X Factor in 2010, One Direction put out five studio albums before taking an extended break in 2016 to work on solo endeavors. Payne was rumored to be working on a second studio album before his death, however he only released 2019’s LP1 before passing away.
Payne’s parents, two sisters, and his 2017 son Bear, who was born to Girls Aloud star Cheryl, survive him.