Liam Payne’s cousin, singer Ross Harris, is remembering the late One Direction star.
“My young cousin. I’ve been trying to write something for a few days now, it still doesn’t feel real and probably never will,” Harris began his Instagram tribute to Payne on Monday, October 21, just days after Payne’s death on Wednesday, October 16.
“I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with you over the last few months, we’d become close again like the kids we were growing up together. Late-night songwriting sessions, making plans to tour and travel, and practicing stupid impressions – we didn’t need much to have a good time,” Harris continued. “It’s devastating to know I won’t see you again or wake up to a late-night FaceTime call (when you’d forget about the time difference) but we made a lot of memories which I’ll hold on to forever. From being 13 years old learning Maroon 5 songs to bumping into you backstage at music festivals, we were always just a couple of kids hanging out.”
Harris went on, “Regardless of what you were going through, and the demons you were fighting, you always wanted to help others and wanted everyone to ‘win together’. Hopefully, the world will remember this above everything else. Not everyone got to know the boy behind the popstar, outside of stadiums and studios, but I count myself very lucky that I did.”
“Rest easy little cousin, you were taken far too soon, love always,” the singer concluded his post, which he shared alongside various photos and videos of Payne.
Us Weekly confirmed that Payne died at age 31 last Wednesday, October 16. The musician suffered “serious injuries” after falling from a third-story balcony at a Bueno Aires, Argentina, hotel, per Buenos Aires emergency services chief Alberto Crescenti.
Everything to Know So Far About Liam Payne’s Shocking Death at 31
According to a 911 call from the day of Payne’s death, a hotel receptionist called police to report a guest who was “high on drugs” and was “trashing” their room. The receptionist noted that the guest “may be in danger,” per the BBC.
ABC News reported on Monday, October 21, that Payne had “pink cocaine” — a recreational drug typically mixing methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA — cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack in his system at the time of his death, citing a partial autopsy it said it had obtained. (Us was not able to independently verify ABC’s report.)
Liam Payne’s Most Touching Quotes About Fatherhood and His Son Bear
Earlier Monday, Payne’s sister Nicola also paid tribute to the “Strip That Down” singer.
“When I saw the news pop up on my phone that you had left us I went cold, I wanted to so much for this to be untrue,” Nicola wrote in a lengthy Instagram statement. “I have spent days hoping that it was a mistake and somebody has got it wrong. You were truly too good for this earth, you are an angel who just lived for making people smile and happy. You have always shown kindness to everyone you met and it shows with just how many people have confirmed what we always knew!”
