Nicole Scherzinger said she would “forever cherish and treasure the time” she spent with Liam Payne in a tribute to the late singer.
“It’s been so hard to process that you’re no longer here, but I am grateful to have known your kind heart, sweet soul and character,” Scherzinger wrote on Instagram.
Scherzinger, of course, played a famous role in the formation of One Direction on X factor U.K., where she served as a judge. In footage released a couple years ago to mark the band’s 12th anniversary, Scherzinger and Simon Cowell can be seen sifting through photos of potential members. At one point, Cowell even suggested that Payne go into a different possible group, a move Scherzinger rebuffed.
“He can actually maybe be the leader,” she said at the time.
In her tribute, Scherzinger remembered the moment “fifteen years ago when One Direction was born,” as well as the pair’s recent work together “just a few weeks ago” on the Netflix series, Building the Band.
“It was such a blessing to get to work with you recently,” Scherzinger said. “We shared the same love and passion for music and I will forever remember the meaningful and joyful conversations we had.”
Scherzinger closed out her note by saying, “You brought so much joy, light, and laughter to the lives of those that truly knew you. I will ‘miss you’ my friend and carry you in my heart. My thoughts and prayers are with your family.”
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Payne died suddenly last week, Oct. 16, after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires. A post-autopsy report said the singer died of multiple traumas, internal and external bleeding, and a cranial injury as a result of his fall. Early reports also indicated the presence of narcotics in his hotel room, though the investigation remains ongoing. (Just yesterday, police raided the hotel in search of documentation, film records, and video related to Payne’s death).
Tributes for Payne have poured in from across the music world, including his One Direction bandmates — Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik — who issued a group statement and individual ones. Others who’ve honored Payne include Shawn Mendes, Robbie Williams, Maggie Rogers, Rita Ora, Ed Sheeran, and Camila Cabello.
