Liam Payne reflected on Tom Parker’s funeral just weeks before his own tragic death.
In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Alexandria Isola recalled meeting the former One Direction member at Greenacres Bowl near Wellington, FL on September 22, and having a heartfelt conversation she will never forget.
“He was a very genuine, humble, cool guy,” Isola, 24, told Us. “I was telling him that I was talking to Universal Orlando about maybe filming [my TV show “5 Days A Week”] there, and he was telling me that’s where [One Direction] had the Four album release and how they made him ride Dueling Dragons nine times.”
When the Florida resort became a topic of conversation, Isola proceeded to recall a memory of meeting The Wanted members — including Nathan Sykes, Jay McGuiness and Tom Parker — at the theme park.
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My father joked that [I] liked The Wanted better than One Direction and he [was] like, ‘You know, with The Wanted, I just went to [Tom’s] funeral and he was a really nice guy,’” Isola recalled. “You can tell it really touched him.”
Isola told Us that Payne “was glad” that he was able to attend Parker’s celebration of life. (The Wanted singer died in March 2022 at the age of 33 after being diagnosed with a brain tumor.)
“It really hit me hard; the fact that he was talking about going to Tom’s funeral,” Isola shared. “And now he just passed right after I met him.”
Payne died on October 16 after a fall from a hotel balcony in Argentina. He was 31. Us later confirmed that the singer’s preliminary autopsy report stated that he died from multiple injuries involving “internal and external hemorrhage.” He suffered “multiple traumas” that contributed to his death, according to the report.
As fans continue to mourn the tragic death of Payne, Isola is comforted by her interaction with the singer last month.
She remembered the former X Factor UK contestant playfully bowling with the ball between his legs. At one point, he stood backward as he tried to knock down pins.
“He seemed like a goofball,” Isola shared. “If I can be that one person to shed light on him and how he was only a few weeks ago being happy and excited about maybe doing an opportunity with comedy and being a normal Florida guy. … I definitely didn’t see anything weird going on there.
“After I found out that he passed, you never know what’s going on in someone,” she added. “Never judge a book by its cover and never judge someone by their past or what’s going on.”
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Payne told Isola that he moved to Wellington, Florida, earlier this summer, which happens to be the polo capital of the state. In his final social media posts, the singer shared his fondness for the equestrian sport: “We’re going to ride some horses,” he said of his time in Argentina with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy. “I think I’m gonna be playing polo again, which is gonna put me out of action for about six weeks. Honestly, polo out of everything I’ve ever done sports-wise… I’m just like I had to go for some fun. It’s so hard to do number one. Number two, my back and my neck from swinging that hammer around or mallet, [I] think it’s called,” he told his viewers. “It hurts a lot. It’s very tough to do, but we’re enjoying ourselves here.”
And Isola can’t help but wonder what his life could have looked like in his new hometown.
“He kept coming back over [to us] and was just engaging in conversation. He kept hugging over and over again. He saw my card and was like, ‘Oh, that’s you. That’s a great shot!’ And he said, ‘I wish I was that put together at 24.’
“He was so normal [and] he kept wanting to come back over ’cause I guess he doesn’t have that normalcy in his life.
“I just definitely felt like he was open to collaborating and I think he wanted to help.
“It seemed like he was just trying to maybe, like, reinvent himself,” she shared. “Have a normal life. I think he was ready for a new chapter.”
With reporting by Andrea Simpson
