Heavy/Getty Liam Payne, Niall Horan
Two weeks before his shocking death on October 16, 2024, Liam Payne flew to Argentina to reconnect with his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan, hoping to talk things over after not speaking for some time. Payne flew to Buenos Aires on October 2 to see the former “Voice” coach in concert, according to Teen Vogue, and later confirmed in photos that the two did reunite backstage.
Now, fans are flooding Horan with condolences, concerned about how the news of Payne’s death has impacted him. Payne died at age 31 in the same city where he reunited with Horan, according to Reuters, which reported that the British musician was found dead after falling from his Buenos Aires hotel room’s third-floor balcony. Police there told Reuters they were called to the hotel to intervene with an “aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol.”
Emergency workers confirmed Payne’s death, per Reuters, reporting that he died in the hotel’s interior patio. TMZ reported that the incident occurred at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel shortly after 5 p.m. local time.
Liam Payne Said He Wanted to ‘Square Things Up’ With Niall Horan Before His Death
After flying to Buenos Aires, Payne posted a Snapchat video from his hotel room, as shared by “Entertainment Tonight” above, saying that he hoped to “square up a couple of things” with Horan. As teens, they skyrocketed to fame together in 2010 with One Direction, alongside their fellow bandmates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson.
“I think we might just go and say hello,” Payne said in the video. “It’s been a while since me and Niall have spoken. We’ve got a lot to talk about. And I would like to square up a couple of things with the boy. No bad vibes or anything like that. But just, um, we need to talk.”
Payne also posted a series of Snapchat videos before the concert of he and Cassidy sharing what they were wearing to the event. Fans captured video of Payne dancing to the music and greeting fans from a suite at the venue, which went viral.
Liam Payne and Niall Horan!
After the show, Payne showed fans that he and Niall did reconnect, posting selfies together on Snapchat alongside the caption: “Reunited ❤️.” The photo has been shared by countless fans on social media, but neither singer shared what they discussed.
Fans Flood Niall Horan’s Instagram Post With Concern & Support
Horan, who left his role as a coach on “The Voice” to launch his world tour in early 2024, finished the tour on October 14 in Bogotá, per iHeart, which reported that he told the crowd he was going to “disappear for a while.”
“This stands from tomorrow onwards, you’ll never find me,” he told the audience. “I’m gonna be hungover as [expletive] tomorrow! And I’m gonna disappear for a while.”
That night, he also thanked fans in an Instagram post, writing, “Night Eighty-Seven Bogotá. The last night of The Show Live On Tour. The past 8 months have just been incredible. I’ll never be able to thank you all enough for what you’ve done for me. Every single one of you who came out to each show and made it all an unforgettable experience. Let’s do it all again sometime. Love you.”
Within an hour of news breaking about Payne’s death, fans had flooded that post with condolences for Horan, hoping he’s okay.
In a comment liked by over 2,000 fans, someone wrote, “sorry for your loss niall❤️❤️”
“Sending you my love,” another fan wrote. “I know how hard this must be.”
Another fan commented, “Niall, stay strong, we are with you always 🤍”
Someone else chimed in, “I’m so sorry for your loss!! Please stay strong and know that directioners are behind you!! We love all the boys so much!!”
At the time of publication, Horan and fellow One Direction bandmates had not commented on the news of Payne’s death. But Horan’s brother, Greg Horan, posted a heartfelt Instagram tribute to the singer on October 17.
“To say I’m heartbroken is an understatement,” he wrote, adding, “words can’t describe how much I want to grab my brother and mind him now while the world shows their memories of you and him and the boys.”
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Fans Worried for Niall Horan After Liam Payne’s Shocking Death