Louis Tomlinson is honoring Liam Payne’s legacy practically a 12 months after his tragic passing.
The 33-year-old singer opened up about his late bandmate in a heartfelt new interview with Rolling Stone UK, reflecting on Liam’s character, the extraordinary public criticism he confronted in his ultimate years, and the private influence of dropping a good friend for the primary time.
“Anybody who knew him [Liam] personally would understand how deeply unfair that was,” Louis instructed the journal in a preview of the upcoming profile, set to drop October 9. “Something that he obtained unsuitable in life, Liam—which, by the way in which, all of us do each day—it was by no means via malice.”
Payne, who died in October 2024 on the age of 31 after a deadly fall from a Buenos Aires lodge balcony, had confronted harsh backlash within the months earlier than his loss of life. A lot of it stemmed from feedback he made about his fellow One Route bandmates—Niall Horan, Harry Types, Zayn Malik and Tomlinson—throughout a 2022 look on the “Impaulsive “podcast. Payne later apologized publicly, however the remarks lingered on-line, fueling criticism from inside the fandom.
Louis, nevertheless, needed to set the file straight. “It was solely via miscommunication—him simply not having the ability to specific himself in the way in which he wanted to,” he stated. “He was only a very misunderstood particular person, I believe, from a public perspective.”
He continued, “If there’s ever any judgment on his character, I believe 9 instances out of 10, you’ll be able to mirror on that, and the reflection is that he was somebody who simply needed to be preferred.”
Tomlinson additionally spoke candidly in regards to the private toll of Payne’s loss of life. Having already skilled profound grief—dropping his mom Johannah Deakin in 2016 and his sister Félicité Tomlinson in 2019—he admitted that Payne’s passing hit otherwise.
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 19: Zayn Malik, Harry Types, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan of One Route, winner of the British Video and World Success BRIT awards, pose within the winners room at The BRIT Awards 2014 at 02 Area on February 19, 2014 in London, England. (Picture by Anthony Harvey/Getty Photos)
“Naively, I believed that as a result of at this level, I’m comparatively effectively versed in grief for my age, that it’d soften the blow,” he stated. “Tremendous-naive. It’s very completely different. I’ve by no means misplaced a good friend earlier than.”
Tomlinson’s emotional interview echoes the tribute he shared simply someday after Payne’s loss of life was confirmed final 12 months. Posting a photograph from their One Route days, he wrote, “I’m past devastated to be scripting this however yesterday I misplaced a brother. For the file, Liam was in my view probably the most very important a part of One Route. His expertise from a younger age, his good pitch, his stage presence, his reward for writing. The listing goes on. Thanks for shaping us Liam.”
He added on the time, “I might have beloved to share the stage with you once more nevertheless it wasn’t to be.”
