One Direction was 'in talks to do one last reunion show' before Liam Payne’s tragic death

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA: Two months after the devastating death of Liam Payne, the world is learning just how close One Direction was to reuniting for one final performance before tragedy struck.

Payne, who died at the age of 31 after a fatal fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16, had been a key figure in talks about bringing the iconic boy band back together.

One Direction's heartbreaking reunion plan revealed

Before Liam Payne’s death, discussions about a reunion were underway. According to the insider, the group had been “in talks to do one last reunion show,” though Payne’s death has left the future uncertain.

“The guys would love to do a tribute to Liam. They’re all so devastated right now they can’t even think about that as a legitimate project, but it has been discussed,” the insider noted, adding “Liam’s death has caused the guys immense heartbreak.”

New York Post sources now reveal that Liam’s untimely death has profoundly impacted his former bandmates — Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson — compelling them to reevaluate their fractured relationships.

“[Liam’s death] was a wake-up call for all of them. Prior, they kept in touch sporadically but didn’t have close friendships at all,” an insider shared with Us Weekly.

Liam Payne's tragic death brought One Direction members together

Liam Payne's death has served as a painful catalyst for renewed connections. “They’re all still mourning but are checking in on each other and feel closer than they have in years,” the source continued, adding “it brought them back together.”

Payne’s funeral in Amersham, England, became an emotional reunion for the group, marking the first time Styles, 30, Tomlinson, 32, and Malik and Horan, both 31, had been together since Malik’s departure from One Direction in 2015.

Liam Payne’s haunting words about One Direction resurfaces after his death

Years before his death, Liam Payne had been vocal about the challenges of life in One Direction. On Jessie Ware’s 'Table Manners' podcast in 2019, he described the relentless pace of their rise to fame.

“There’s no stop button,” Payne said, adding “You’ve got no control over your life. That’s why I lost complete control of everything.”

The group, formed on The X Factor in 2010, became a global phenomenon almost instantly, juggling sold-out tours and demanding schedules.

Splitting up in 2016, Payne admitted it was “really scary at first” but ultimately necessary.

“I needed to stop. It would’ve killed me,” he said.

Post One Direction, Payne struggled to shed the toxic habits he developed during the band’s peak.

Speaking to Stephen Bartlett on the 'Diary of the CEO Podcast' in 2021, he shared, “I was worried how far my rock bottom was going to be. Where’s rock bottom for me? And you would never have seen it. I’m very good at hiding it.”

He candidly shared on the 'Impaulsive' podcast in 2022, “You’re either going to end up a crazy child star who dies at whatever age, or you’re going to live life and actually get on with it.”

Liam Payne 'was drunk most of the time' during One Direction days

According to People, in 2019, Liam Payne told Men’s Health Australia that “it’s difficult when you have the level of fame that we had in the band.”

“There have been a lot of people in trouble with mental health that aren’t really getting the help that they need, and I think that’s a bit of a problem in our industry,” Payne went on.

“It’s the same s**t that happens to everyone, that’s been happening since the ’70s. You know what the traps are and if you are lucky enough, like me, to be able to get out of that scenario and back into a sense of normality, then you know it’s a bit different,” he continued.

Payne also admitted to relying on alcohol to cope during his One Direction years. “I was [drunk] quite a lot of the time because there was no other way to get your head around what was going on,” he confessed.

Despite the immense highs, Payne revealed that certain aspects of their fame “just got a little bit toxic.”

Tensions within the group had occasionally spilled into public view.

Payne once hinted at an altercation involving Zayn Malik, describing him as someone he had “many reasons” to dislike, but also “many reasons why I’ll always, always be on his side.”

Though the details of their backstage conflicts remain unclear, the shared grief over Payne’s death seems to have mended some of those rifts.

Payne’s final hours were marred by erratic behavior as witnesses reported he smashed his laptop in the hotel lobby before being escorted back to his room.

His fall resulted in a “cranial fracture and extremely serious injuries,” according to medical officials.

The singer is survived by his seven-year-old son, Bear, whom he shared with Cheryl Cole.