Zayn Malik’s sister addresses Liam Payne’s tragic death in tear-jerking new message

Zayn Malik and Liam Payne had a tumultuous relationship after being put together in One Direction in 2010, and they reportedly became estranged when Zayn left the boyband in 2015

Zayn Malik’s grief-stricken sister Waliyha has said she’s “heartbroken” over Liam Payne’s tragic death.

The 31-year-old died after falling from his hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday evening, leaving his family, friends and fans devastated. While Liam’s former One Direction bandmates have yet to comment on the singers sudden death, relatives of the boyband have shared their own poignant tributes to the Strip That Down hitmaker.

Zayn’s younger sister Waliyha, 26, shared snaps photos of Liam and his One Direction bandmates over the years on her Instagram Story on Thursday, as she told her followers she was still in shock over news of Liam’s passing. “Literally hearbroken. RIP. I have no words,” she wrote.

Waliyha would have been 12 years old when One Direction formed on The X Factor, and while Zayn and Liam’s relationship was fractured since the Pillow Talk hitmaker left the boyband in 2015, Waliyha’s tribute has given hope to fans that there was still a close bond between the boys. She also reposted a clip of Liam talking about Zayn as he chatted with fans, saying: “Zayn doing well, coming out on tour, I'm so proud of him.”

Back in 2020, Liam spoke about his tumultuous relationship with Zayn, as he told Logan Paul that there were “many reasons” he disliked his former bandmate. “There's many reasons why I dislike Zayn and there's many reasons why I'll always, always be on his side,” he explained. “If I had had to go through what he went through, through his growth and whatever else. You know, are your parents very supportive?”

Liam then claimed that Zayn’s family were not supportive of his career, and quickly backtracked on his comments as he revealed he wouldn’t be able to talk badly about Zayn because they had been through the same experiences. “But at the end of the day, once you understand what he's been through to get to that point, and also whether or not he even wanted to be there,” Liam mused. “I'm so misunderstood by myself more than anyone, like I don't know what I'm doing or why I'm here. It's like, I can't sit here and d**k on him because of whatever.”

He addressed the backlash over his comments on social media, as he insisted that Zayn would “always” be regarded as family. “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,” Liam insisted.

Niall Horan’s brother Greg, 37, was another family member to pay tribute to Liam, as he thanked the 31-year-old for looking after Niall during their time in One Direction. “You were a top young boy to a man, a son, a brother, you are only one of 4 lads I was happy enough to take my place in Niall's life as a brother. You will be forever missed,” he wrote. Harry Styles ’ mother Anne Twist shared a heartbreaking simple tribute on Instagram, as she posted a broken heart emoji on a black background with the caption: “Just a boy…”

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