Liam Payne's Family Breaks Silence on His Death: 'We Are Heartbroken'

Liam Payne's family is speaking out for the first time since it was announced that the former One Direction member passed away at the age of 31.

Payne died on October 16 and his family spoke out the next day on October 17 in a statement that announced that they are "heartbroken" over his passing.

"We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we'll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul," they told the BBC.

"We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time," the family added.

Police in Argentina confirmed that that the 31-year-old died after falling from the third story of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires.

Prior to the singer's passing, he was reported as acting "erratic." TMZ reports that Payne was "behaving strangely" while staying at the hotel and that the hotel staff said that Payne was moving from side to side and stuttering strangely.

Other claims obtained by the outlet allege that Payne had smashed his laptop in the hotel lobby prior to his passing and that the staff of the hotel was forced to carry Payne back to his room.

Despite this, Payne was seen posting to his social media accounts before his passing as well. He was seen on Snapchat posting right before he fell off the balcony.

Currently, the authorities are investigating whether Payne's death was an accident or not. The representative of the CasaSur Hotel reported that the police were helping in the investigation.

Payne is survived by his 7-year-old son, Bear, whom he had with ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole back in March 2017.

Payne was not alone during his time in South America. His girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, had been with him during their extended stay, but left days prior to Payne's passing because she had to get back home after she said a five-day trip turned into an unexpected two-week stay.

Tags

Liam Payne, One Direction, Death