Louis Tomlinson reflects on the pain of losing his ex an address his bandmate, Liam Payne, a year after the singer’s death.
In a new interview with the independentThe 33-year-old opened up about coping with grief since Payne died in October 2024 at age 31.
“I naively thought that at this point I would unfortunately be a little more versed in grief than other people my age. I thought that might mean something, but it didn’t at all,” Tomlinson said, referencing the previous losses of his mother, Johannah Deakin, who died of cancer in 2016, and his sister, Félicité, who died in 2019 from an accidental overdose.
“It’s something I will never accept, I don’t think so,” he added.
Tomlinson fondly remembered Payne as someone who could always make him laugh. “Liam always entertained me. If I was bored and wanted to laugh, he played that role,” she said.
He also praised Payne’s loyalty and kindness, noting that his late friend always showed up for him, whether during Tomlinson’s time as a judge in The x factor or at the premiere of his 2023 documentary, All those voices.
“This is in no way a comment directed at the other guys, but I know if it were me, I would have struggled with that idea. [would have been] There’s a feeling of inferiority because you’re the guest,” Tomlinson admitted.
“But any chance Liam had, he was always, always there for me. Even though he may have been struggling, he put himself second and still showed up. Those moments are really a testament to the truth of who he was as a person.”
The tragedy has also brought the remaining an address The members are closer together, he said, referring to Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik.
“The best kind of friends are the ones where, when you finally meet, it’s like no time has passed,” she shared. “It’s also amazing to see everyone doing so well on their own.”
an addressformed in The X Factor UK in 2010, became one of the biggest pop acts of the decade before Payne died on October 16, 2024, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
An autopsy later determined that the cause of death was “polytrauma,” that is, multiple injuries that affected several organs and systems.
