“He was really going through a hard time in his life back then,” Louis Tomlinson said of his fellow One Direction member—who died at 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

Louis Tomlinson is getting candid about the moment he found out Liam Payne had passed away. During an appearance on the Diary of a CEO podcast, the former One Direction star shared that it was bandmate Niall Horan who told him the devastating news about their friend.

“It hit me the same way it did when I lost Félicité,” Tomlinson explained, referencing his late sister, who died at 18 in March 2019.

On Wednesday, October 16, 2024, Tomlinson was in a car in Los Angeles when Horan called to break the news of Payne’s death. The 31-year-old singer had fallen from the balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“I think anyone feels this way when someone close to them is struggling—even giving 150% of myself just wasn’t enough,” Tomlinson admitted. He went on to reflect on the guilt that followed: “That’s when I realized it was my own arrogance thinking I could’ve helped, honestly. His pain was so much deeper than anything I could’ve fixed for him.”

Again, he emphasized how much Payne was suffering: “He was really going through a hard time in his life back then.”

One Direction stayed together for roughly six years, forming in 2010 and announcing an indefinite hiatus in 2016. The original five-member group sold millions of albums, toured the globe, and grew up publicly—all under the world’s watch.

Tomlinson also talked about the tribute post he shared shortly after Payne’s death. “When I posted that message about him… I wanted so badly for people to remember him the way he deserved to be remembered,” he said. The “Lemonade” singer added that he could “talk all day” about Payne and how “amazing” he was.

“He was someone we all looked up to,” Tomlinson revealed. “Back when we were in the band, I don’t think any of us would’ve had the courage to say that—we were too proud, honestly. But we all admired him so much.”

At the time of Payne’s death, Tomlinson shared a photo of the two hugging and smiling, writing that he was “devastated” to have “lost a brother.” He called Payne by his nickname, “Payno,” and described him as “such a positive, funny, and kind soul.” While he admitted he was “struggling” with the idea of saying “goodbye,” Tomlinson made sure to highlight how grateful he was to have known Payne.

“We got even closer after the band, and I’m so thankful for that,” he shared, opening up about their post-1D friendship. “Talking on the phone for hours, reminiscing about the thousands of incredible memories we shared—that was a luxury I thought I’d have with you forever. I would’ve loved nothing more than to share the stage with you again, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”