Zayn Malik says he 'lost a brother' after Liam Payne's death at 31 amid feud allegations

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Zayn Malik is mourning the tragic death of his “brother” Liam Payne, sharing an emotional tribute to his former One Direction bandmate.

Payne died from polytrauma after a fatal fall from his third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday, October 16. He was 31

The British musician rose to fame after he appeared on ‘The X Factor’ in 2010 and subsequently formed the boyband ‘One Direction’ with Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Harry Styles.

Zayn Malik mourns Liam Payne’s death

Zayn Malik took to Instagram to share a heartfelt tribute to the ‘Teardrops’ singer, posting a nostalgic photo of himself lying on Payne’s lap, per Metro.

The ‘Pillowtalk’ singer wrote, “Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but think selfishly that there were so many more conversations for us to have in our lives.”

Malik reflected on the defining moments of their friendship, including the ups and downs they experienced together. Despite their disagreements, the ‘Dusk Till Dawn’ singer expressed that he had always “secretly respected” Payne.

Malik wrote, “I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life. When I was missing home as a 17-year-old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were my friend and that I was loved.”

He continued, “Even though you were younger than me you were always more sensible than me, you were headstrong, opinionated, and gave no f***s about telling people when they were wrong. Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, I always secretly respected you for it.”

“When it came to music Liam, you were the most qualified in every sense. I knew nothing in comparison. I was a novice child with no experience and you were already a professional,” gushed the father-of-one. 

Malik continued to praise his late friend as he wrote, “Was always happy to know, no matter what happened on stage we could always rely on you to know which way to steer the ship next.”

He poignantly expressed, “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 and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly.”

“I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever, there is no words that justify or explain how I feel right now other than beyond devastated,” penned Malik.

He concluded his long pot by writing, “I hope that wherever you are right now you are good and are at peace and you know how loved you are. Love you bro.”

Zayn Malik devastated by Liam Payne's death as friends rally around him during this difficult time

Liam Payne's tragic death deeply affected Zayn Malik, who was heartbroken upon hearing the news. A US music producer close to Malik told the Daily Mail how the singer responded to the loss of his friend.

"Zayn was told in the early hours of this morning and has been in absolute bits," revealed the source, before adding that his close ones are making sure that he is not left alone during the time of grief. 

"People close to Zayn don’t want him to be alone at the moment, so he is surrounded by friends," the source added.

Speculation of a feud between Zayn Malik and Liam Payne

Liam Payne’s tragedy happened just weeks after his ex Maya Henry made an explosive claim that Zayn Malik threw the ‘Polaroid’ singer against the wall after a heated argument. 

Payne previously addressed the tensions within the band, revealing that he had experienced a violent altercation with a fellow member, who allegedly pushed him against a wall.

Although he never disclosed the individual's identity, Payne's ex-girlfriend Maya Henry recently revealed that Zayn Malik was the one involved in the altercation.

Payne spoke about the altercation during an appearance on Logan Paul’s 'Impaulsive' podcast, where he mentioned that the bandmate "threw me against a wall," according to Variety.

Payne recounted responding, "If you don’t remove those hands, there’s a high likelihood you’ll never use them again," indicating that he was not willing to back down.

In the same podcast, Payne elaborated on his complicated relationship with Malik, stating, "There are many reasons why I dislike Zayn and many reasons why I'll always, always support him."

The 'Bedroom Floor' singer added, "If I had had to go through what he went through — with his growth and whatever else… My parents are overly supportive to the point where it’s annoying at times. Zayn had a different upbringing in that sense."

"Listen, I don't agree with any of his actions. I can't commend some of the things that he's done. I can't be on his side for that," Payne said, per SPIN 1038.

However, he later clarified his remarks by tweeting shortly after the podcast, "Guys — I wouldn’t normally comment on this stuff but when its your family it’s hard to let it slide. They mentioned a specific incident involving Zayn which I responded to — but listening back maybe I didn’t articulate myself as well as I could have."

"I was saying that there will always be things we disagree on but that I will always, always be on his side. That’s family. Zayn is my brother and I will stand by him forever," wrote the singer.