“We Are Heartbroken”: Liam Payne’s Family Mourns “Funny, Brave Soul” Following His Death at 31

Liam Payne‘s family says they are “heartbroken” over the former One Direction member’s death at 31.

Payne died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday night after local police said he fell from a hotel balcony. Buenos Aires police said Payne’s fall resulted in “extremely serious injuries” and medics confirmed his death on the spot. The Buenos Aires Security Ministry later told the Associated Press that Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room,” and that police responded to an emergency call warning of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

An outpouring of love, grief and shock has since rippled through the entertainment industry and beyond, including from Paris Hilton and Charlie Puth.

The Brit’s family on Thursday released a statement, according to the BBC. “We are heartbroken,” his relatives, including mother Karen and father Geoff, said. “Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”

Payne is best known for being one-fifth of global boy band One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson. The band were formed by Simon Cowell on the U.K. X-Factor in 2010. In the last few days he was photographed and videoed at a concert of Horan’s in South America, who has just wrapped on his The Show live tour.

Payne went on to have a fairly successful solo music career after leaving the band in 2016. His debut single, “Strip That Down” featuring Quavo, was released that year. He also collaborated with artists such as DJ Zedd and J Balvin.

He shared one son, Bear Grey Payne, born in 2017, with his ex-girlfriend (and X Factor judge) Cheryl Cole. He was currently dating influencer Kate Cassidy who regularly posted to TikTok videos of their travels.