The former members of One Direction reunited to pay their respects to their late bandmate, Liam Payne, at his funeral. Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson joined friends and family in honoring the 31-year-old Payne, who tragically passed away after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires last month.
Payne's coffin was transported to St. Mary's Church in Amersham, a peaceful town located 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of London, by a horse-drawn carriage. To ensure privacy and prevent large gatherings, the exact location of the funeral was kept secret until the service began. Despite this, many fans and locals congregated nearby to pay their respects to Payne.
The atmosphere grew somber as Payne's parents, Geoff and Karen, stepped out of a car to stand beside the horse-drawn carriage, which was adorned with floral tributes reading 'Son' and 'Daddy.' Payne shared a 7-year-old son, Bear, with singer Cheryl Tweedy. Among the mourners were Payne's girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, actor and presenter James Corden, former soccer player Robbie Keane, and music mogul Simon Cowell, who originally brought One Direction together.
The band was formed in 2010 after the five teenagers auditioned for 'The X-Factor' as solo acts and were subsequently grouped together by Cowell, a judge on the show. They went on to achieve immense success, selling over 70 million records worldwide and winning seven Brit Awards. Following the group's split in 2016, Payne pursued a solo career, though it did not reach the same heights as One Direction. He was also candid about his struggles with mental health and alcohol under the pressures of fame.
Argentinian prosecutors reported that Payne had traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his system at the time of his fatal fall from the third-floor balcony of his room at the Casa Sur Hotel. Three individuals have been charged in connection with his death, facing accusations of 'abandonment of a person followed by death' and 'supplying and facilitating the use of narcotics.'
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