Life after Liam Payne: How the One Direction singer’s inner circle have dealt with their grief one year on from his tragic death at the age of 31

It has been a year since the music industry was rocked by the tragic news of Liam Payne’s death.  

The One Direction star suffered a fatal fall off a hotel balcony in Argentina in October 2024 at the age of 31, and a subsequent toxicology report revealed alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his system.

After sharing their respective tributes to Instagram in the days following his death, a month later his bandmates reunited at his funeral for the first time since their split in 2016 as they paid their respects to the late star. 

Meanwhile Cheryl kept a low profile following Liam’s death as she navigated the tragic situation which left her son Bear, eight, without a father. 

Last week Louis Tomlinson confirmed that Liam’s death has ‘completely put a pin in’ a potential One Direction reunion as he revealed he doesn’t believe it ‘would be right’. 

However life has gone on for those in the late singer’s inner circle and despite an on stage reunion off the cards, they have found a way to move forward in the wake of his death.

It is believed Liam’s death brought the band, which also consists of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Harry Styles, close again.

Earlier this month it was revealed Louis and Zayn have reunited for a new Netflix multi-million pound deal. 

The pair have become close again, and earlier this year Zayn gave a shoutout to Louis after he attended his Los Angeles concert at the Shrine Exposition Hall. 

The new series will see the two pals travel across the US in a road trip, where they will discuss their lives and reflect on memories from their days in the band.

While it’s currently early days for the show, it’s earmarked for release next year, which will be a decade since One Direction split up.

Sources close to the production have revealed Zayn, 32, and Louis, 33, are likely to discuss the tragic death of their friend.

An insider told The Sun: ‘This will be an absolutely huge show for Netflix and is guaranteed to whip 1D’s global army of fans into a frenzy.

‘Although the idea of British boyband members doing a show about travelling across America sounds random, most of them now have strong links Stateside.

‘And it’s likely to be a chance for some serious soul-searching and deep discussions about the incredible journey the group have already been on since they were formed on The X Factor 15 years ago.’

Louis is the only band member to have spoken about Liam’s death after he reflected on the horrendous event. 

Speaking to Rolling Stone UK, Louis said he still feels ‘frustrated that Liam’s not with us anymore’ as he discussed his shock passing.

He said: ‘It was really, really, impossibly difficult for me to deal with losing Liam. Naively, I thought that because at this point, I’m relatively well versed in grief for my age, that it might soften the blow.

‘[That was] super-naive. It’s very different. I’ve never lost a friend before.’

Louis also explained how the 15th anniversary of the band’s formation earlier this year had proved tough because it was the first one to be celebrated without Liam.

He said: ‘It was really uncomfortable, actually, the 15th anniversary, because the [collective] feeling to celebrate is as important, if not more important than ever, on behalf of Liam.

‘There’s still a level in my head [where it feels] unjust and frustrating that he’s not with us anymore. So, it just brought up those feelings, although I’m still living with them anyway.’

He also recently sat down with Stephen Bartlett on The Diary Of A CEO podcast as he recounted the moment he found out about his passing. 

He said: ‘I was in the car in LA and I just dropped my son Freddie off for school and I was just pulling up back home.

‘I actually found out through Niall, and he told me and yeah, he said something like, “Lads have you seen the news”, and I think I knew what he meant.

‘I had the same feeling that I had with Félicité [his sister] and I think anyone has this when they’re around someone who’s struggling—my 150 percent wasn’t nearly enough.’ 

Looking back, the singer said Liam was ‘definitely struggling at that time in his life.

‘And that’s when it’s my own arrogance thinking that I could have helped really, because it was so much deeper than what I could have done for him.’

Furthermore Cheryl has also returned to the spotlight following Liam’s death. 

The Girls Aloud star is now working with skincare giant Nivea showcasing her age-defying skin. 

Announcing the campaign in August, the clip was littered with nods to her career as she is seen strutting into a studio, before sitting with her face covered by a newspaper boasting the lyrics to her 2009 song Fight For This Love alongside the date ‘August 2025’.

A message then flashes up, and reveals: ‘A New Era, Tomorrow’. The social media team captioned the clip: ‘This is right up our street. Tomorrow. 9am. A new era of skincare… guess who’s joining us?’

The caption from Nivea is a nod to one of Cheryl’s catchphrases during her stint as an X Factor judge – when she would often say ‘you are right up my street’.

It was also revealed Cheryl was granted the power of administration of Liam’s estate.

As he died without leaving a will, he was declared intestate. This means that as an unmarried parent his estate is shared between any children.

Friends and family spoke out afterwards and insisted Cheryl ‘will always do the right thing by her beloved son’. They expressed how he was adamant to make sure his only son would be well looked after in the event anything happened to him.

In contrast to Cheryl, Liam’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy has been very public in her grief for the star, often taking to social media to connect with her fans and share the signs she feels keep her close to the late singer. 

Since Liam’s death, Kate has set up her own account with brand creator Golden Child where she sells her favourite clothes and accessories such as Dior and Chanel handbags and Celine sunglasses.

In return, she gets a cut from the brands. The influencer has also appeared on podcasts talking about her experience of grief. 

In September she shared a set of AI-generated snaps of them created by fans.

Posting the lifelike portraits via Instagram Stories, she wrote, ‘Thanks for making these. AI is such a blessing and a curse.’

Unlike Kate, Liam’s family have stayed out of the spotlight following his death and have chosen to grieve privately. 

His parents Geoff and Karen Payne are expected to have a quiet day to mark the anniversary of his passing along with their daughters Ruth and Nicola. 

Yet behind the scenes they have banded together to raise money for children with cancer in his memory. 

Earlier this month it was revealed donations for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital have reached a whopping £250,000.

The funds raised will go towards funding a unit that will provide ‘pioneering research, cutting-edge treatments and expert care’.

A spokesperson said: ‘We’re so touched by the generosity shown towards Gosh in Liam’s memory.’

They added to The Sun: ‘Every donation is helping us take another step towards a world-leading children’s cancer centre — a place of hope which will help build the future of children’s cancer care and save more lives.

‘It’s a lasting legacy that will make a difference for generations.’ 

The order of service at Liam’s funeral stated that the funds would go towards building a new cancer unit on site.

It read: ‘Thank you for your donation to Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity in memory of our friend Liam Payne.

‘Your donation today will continue Liam’s legacy by helping to build a brand new Children’s Cancer Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

‘This incredible new building will help give seriously ill children childhoods that are fuller, funner and longer.’

Liam’s family marked the star’s first birthday since his death with a trip to his favourite spot in August on what would have been his 32nd birthday. 

His sister Nicola posted a heartbreaking tribute to her late brother as they headed to the same place they celebrated with Liam a year ago- a local bowling alley.

‘A year later same bowling alley, different lanes, one huge part of our family missing,’ she wrote on Instagram, adding a photo of the family’s scores on the screen.

In a grid post, Nicola added a heartbreaking message as she reflected that ‘a year ago today, we were so full of hope and excitement for what the years ahead would bring you.’

‘That night, celebrating your birthday with bowling and McDonald’s, we celebrated you, your show, your dreams, and spoke of all the plans you had for the future.’

‘We ended the evening with a hug, telling you how proud we were and how much we loved you. If I had known that would be the last time I’d see you, I would have said so much more.’

‘I wish I could step into a time machine and relive that night and hug you tighter, capture your smile and voice, ask more questions, and write it all down so I’d never forget.’

‘I hope you’re happy, at peace, and know how deeply you are loved. I miss you every single day, and I don’t think there will ever be a day that I don’t.

‘So today, on your birthday, I want to wish you the happiest heavenly birthday. Wherever you are, I hope you’re celebrating and hopefully you’ve scored a few strikes too. Love you always.’