Nicole Scherzinger, Who Helped Form One Direction on ‘X Factor’, Pays Tribute to Liam Payne: “So Hard to Process”
Nicole Scherzinger, who is credited as being responsible for the formation of One Direction during the 2010 season of The X Factor, is paying tribute to Liam Payne.
In a social media post shared Friday, the singer penned a letter to Payne, who died in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the age of 31 after falling from the Casa Sur Hotel balcony.
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“Dear Liam, I will forever cherish and treasure the time we shared together, from fifteen years ago when One Direction was born, right up until just a few weeks ago. It was such a blessing to get to work with you recently. We shared the same love and passion for music and I will forever remember the meaningful and joyful conversations we had,” she wrote.
It was reported that Payne would join Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland on a judges panel for a new Netflix competition series Building the Band. Sources indicated to The Hollywood Reporter that the series producers were “shocked” by news of Payne’s unexpected death, and that it’s too soon to make decisions around the competition show amid the grief.
She continued, “It’s been so hard to process that you’re no longer here, but I am grateful to have known your kind heart, sweet soul and character. You brought so much joy, light, and laughter to the lives of those that truly knew you. I will ‘miss you’ my friend and carry you in my heart. My thoughts and prayers are with your family.”
While competing individually on the U.K. X Factor in 2010, Payne was among those chosen to form the boy band that would become One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson. The group went on to become a global sensation, becoming one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.
During an appearance on Sherri last year, Scherzinger reflected on creating One Direction and addressed how a clip from the show of her doing so has gone viral.
“I never thought this footage would see the light of day. I thought Simon burned it. It’s really cool that it came out because what people are actually seeing is me actually putting them together the way that my mind grapes were working and being like look I just came out of a girl group, I know how successful and how powerful it can be to be a group. We’ve got to join forces,” she said.
“I’m super proud that I got to play a small part or a big part … They made history.”
Scherzinger elaborated on her Instagram post during a Friday appearance on Good Morning America. Appearing visibly emotional, she said that she and Payne were “quite close.”
“We recently did a show together on Netflix called Building the Band. I’m heartbroken. I’m heartbroken for Liam. I’m heartbroken for his family and his loved ones and his fans. Liam always led with his heart and with kindness, and I really hope that’s how he’ll always be remembered,” she said.
Following Payne’s death, many people took to social media to pay tribute to the late singer including Payne’s former One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.
Cowell also shared a statement: “Liam, I am devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you.”
10:56 a.m. Updated with Scherzinger’s comments on GMA.
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