00:00One Direction has broken their silence in the wake of Liam Payne's tragic death,
00:04following autopsy results which revealed the singer's cause of death.
00:08Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik released a joint statement
00:13to address the sudden passing of their former bandmate.
00:17We're completely devastated by the news of Liam's passing. In time, and when everyone is able to,
00:22there will be more to say, but for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of
00:27our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.
00:32For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us.
00:37We will miss him terribly. We love you, Liam."
00:40The former One Direction member sadly died at 5.07 p.m. on Wednesday
00:45after tragically falling to his death from the balcony of a hotel room in Buenos Aires,
00:49Argentina. Autopsy results show that Payne died from trauma and internal and external bleeding.
00:55According to the local prosecutor, minutes before Payne's death, the hotel manager called 9-1-1
01:01to ask for help for a guest who was, quote,
01:03under the influence of drugs and alcohol and had destroyed some objects in the room.
01:07Substances believed to be narcotics were found in the room of the singer,
01:11with the prosecutor's office noting that Payne was going through some kind of outbreak
01:15due to substance abuse. The prosecution said on Thursday that given the position in which
01:19the body was left and the injuries from the fall, it is presumed that Payne did
01:22not adopt a reflex posture to protect himself and that he could have fallen into a state of
01:27semi or total unconsciousness. The Buenos Aires security ministry noted to the Associated Press
01:33that Payne had jumped from the balcony of his room. An outpouring of love, grief, and shock
01:38has since rippled through the entertainment industry and beyond, including tributes from
01:42James Corden, Rita Ora, Charlie Puth, the Backstreet Boys, and more.
01:48In addition to One Direction's joint statement, Louis also wrote a personal emotional message,
01:53which said in part,
01:54I wish I got the chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you.
01:58Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother. I love you, mate. Sleep well.
02:03And as more tributes pour in, Zayn wrote a heartfelt tribute saying in part,
02:08I lost a brother when you left us and can't explain to you what I'd give to just give you
02:12a hug one last time and say goodbye properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly.
02:18Payne's family also released an emotional statement which read,
02:21We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and will remember him for his kind,
02:26funny, and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family
02:30and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.
02:34Payne is best known for being one-fifth of the global boy band One Direction,
02:38alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson.
02:43Payne went on to have a fairly successful solo music career after leaving One Direction in 2016
02:48and collaborated with artists such as Quavo, DJ Zedd, and J Balvin.
02:52He shared one son, Bear Gray Payne, born in 2017 with his ex-girlfriend
02:57and X Factor judge Cheryl Cole.
02:59For more updates to this story, head to THR.com.
03:03And for the latest entertainment news and updates, keep watching The Hollywood Reporter News.
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