One Direction members emotionally reunite at Liam Payne’s funeral in the UK
Liam Payne’s former One Direction bandmates were amongst the mourners at his funeral Wednesday in England’s Home Counties.
Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson all came together for the first time in nearly nine years to pay their respects to the late singer.
The former boy band members joined Payne’s closest friends and family outside of London as he was laid to rest one month after his fatal fall.
Styles was the first to arrive as he was photographed with his head down while surrounded by other mourners. Shortly after, Tomlinson also made his way in while Malik and Horan were seen moments later.
The four remaining members of One Direction arrived separately and wore sunglasses to pay their respects.
Although the foursome were not seen interacting before entering the church, Tomlinson and Malik spoke outside.
Simon Cowell, who was among the judges in the “X Factor” that made them into a group, was also spotted arriving at the funeral. He was accompanied by his fiancée, Lauren Silverman.
Moments later, Payne’s casket arrived via a horse-drawn carriage and was carried inside.
Once the memorial service was done, the former One Direction bandmates were seen walking out of the church separately. However, Horan and Styles managed to come together at one point.
Horan also walked hand-in-hand with girlfriend Amelia Wooley.
The “Polaroid” singer skyrocketed to fame in 2010 after he auditioned for the “X Factor” as a solo artist but was placed in a group alongside Styles, 30, Horan, 31, Malik, 31, and Tomlinson, 32.
One Direction quickly became one of the biggest boy bands of all time, releasing five albums before their 2016 split — one year after Malik left.
The five were never publicly seen together after their break up.
Payne died last month after falling from a third-story balcony while vacationing in Argentina. He was 31.
After the tragedy, each former boy band member shared tributes to Payne on their personal Instagram accounts and the group’s official page.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” they said in the rare statement.
“In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.”
“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever,” they continued. “For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you, Liam.”
Payne’s father, Geoff, flew down to Argentina after the tragic accident to help authorities and retrieve his son’s body. They finally flew home to England earlier this month.
Prosecutors recently revealed the “Strip That Down” singer’s death will not be ruled a suicide and concluded that he was likely unconscious when he toppled over the balcony railing.
His autopsy report showed he had traces of cocaine, alcohol and prescription medication in his system at the time of the fall.
One of his friends, a hotel employee and an alleged drug dealer have all since been charged in connection to his death
The friend — alleged to be his manager — was charged with abandonment for allegedly failing to inform the late singer’s family that he had suffered a drug relapse, La Nación reported. He faces five to 15 years in prison, per the outlet.
The CasaSur Palermo hotel employee and alleged drug dealer reportedly supplied Payne with narcotics — which the hospitality worker denied.
