Zayn Malik had a friend in attendance at his Wednesday, January 29, concert at Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles.
Louis Tomlinson was in the crowd to show his support just three months after their One Direction bandmate Liam Payne died unexpectedly after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires.
“Tonight’s something special. An old friend of mine is here for me tonight,” Malik, 32, told the crowd as the audience erupted in cheers, as seen in a fan video shared via X. “I don’t want to give his location away, but Louis is here tonight.”
The video showed Tomlinson, 33, seated in a box in the theater, tapping his heart in appreciation.
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Malik then said, “Let’s make these last couple of songs special for Louis, yeah?” and dedicated his songs “What I Am” and “Alienated” to him.
After the show, Tomlinson and Malik were seen leaving the venue together and entering a waiting Cadillac, the Mirror reported.
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The pair were last seen together publicly at Payne’s Buckinghamshire, England, funeral in November, along with One Direction members Harry Styles and Niall Horan. Malik postponed his Stairway to the Sky tour after Payne’s death, finally launching the United States leg on January 21 in Washington, D.C.
Malik has honored Payne at his shows throughout the tour, showing a blue screen with “Liam Payne 1993 – 2024, love you bro” written across it with a red heart, as his song “Stardust” plays.
Tomlinson’s appearance at Malik’s concert has also fueled speculation about a One Direction reunion. Malik left the band in 2015, and the group released one more album after that before going on indefinite hiatus in 2016.
With Payne set to be honored at the Brit Awards on March 1, rumors have surfaced that the remaining One Direction members might reunite at the event. The band won seven Brit Awards prior to their hiatus.
