Members of the pop band One Direction are paying tribute to their late bandmate Liam Payne, who died Wednesday at age 31, saying the memories "will be treasured forever."
Amid reports indicating the singer plunged to his death from a hotel balcony in Argentina, and a general consensus being that he was taking drugs and alcohol shortly before the incident, all eyes have been on his former bandmates, who have since broken their silence, saying they are "completely devastated."
In a statement signed by Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Harry Styles, they said: "In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say," according to BBC.
Payne's former bandmates also took to social media individually to honor his memory.
"I lost a brother when you left us and can't explain to you what I'd give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly," Malik wrote in a statement posted alongside a photo of him and Payne.
"I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever," he added. "Love you bro."
Tomlinson remembered Payne on Instagram, recalling how they first met.
"I first met Liam when he was 16 and I was 18. I was instantly amazed by his voice but more importantly as time went on I got a chance to see the kind brother I'd longed all my life for," Tomlinson wrote.
"Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam."