Niall Horan has opened up about the death of Liam Payne, nearly two years after his former One Direction bandmate died in Buenos Aires in 2024.
In a new interview, Horan said the loss still feels difficult to fully accept. He recalled spending time with Payne in Argentina shortly before his death and said he is grateful that his last memory of him was a happy one. Their friendship, he explained, remained strong even when their lives and careers moved in different directions.
Payne died at age 31 after falling from a hotel balcony. Authorities said emergency services had been called to the hotel before the incident, and later findings pointed to severe injuries from the fall. Investigators did not classify the death as suicide.
Horan also said he has stayed in contact with Payne’s family and the other former members of One Direction. His upcoming album, Dinner Party, includes a song connected to Payne’s memory, titled End of an Era.