Justin Bieber pays somber tribute to Liam Payne

Justin Bieber has paid heartbreaking tribute to Liam Payne – five days after his shock death aged 31.

The singer, 30, who alongside the boyband dominated the charts in the 2010s, shared a somber video of floral tributes and messages laid in Liam’s memory – with the message: ‘Rest easy, Liam.’ This was followed by a broken heart emoji. 

The One Direction star plunged from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Wednesday, and died instantly from multiple injuries that led to ‘internal and external haemorrhaging’. 

A voiceover on the clip said: ‘Just remember: you are allowed to grieve as a fan. You are allowed to love someone you’ve never met. 

‘You are allowed to admire someone for their art. You are allowed, to cry, to break, to feel like a part of you is gone.’

Liam and Justin had a chart rivalry which became a fully fledged feud after a YouTube video showed Liam Payne appearing to make a dig at the Canadian singer.

But, despite their initial feud, Liam, previously revealed how he and Bieber eventually connected and learnt they had much more in common than their boyish charm and good looks.

In a segment on a podcast with YouTube star Logan Paul filmed in 2022, which has resurfaced in the wake of his tragic death, the One Direction member revealed he had reached out to Bieber in an attempt to end the feud, and alluded to some of the striking parallels between the pair in the early days of their careers.

The British boyband sold more than 70 million records worldwide while Bieber has sold more than 150 million.

Speaking on Logan Paul’s podcast Impaulsive, Payne told his side of the story as he recalled speaking on Instagram while ‘drunk’, when somebody mentioned Justin Bieber’s name.

Payne recalled: ‘I was like, “well the only thing between me and him is I haven’t been arrested”,’ noting in the same breath that he didn’t ever intend to offend Bieber.

He added: ‘It started some beef.’

Payne recalled how the feud, which began online, began to spill into real life because One Direction and Bieber shared some fans and the stars themselves would often bump into each other at awards ceremonies.

However, he noted one particular awards ceremony when both the band and Bieber were there, and Liam thought: ‘I’ll have a chat with him’ in order to settle the conflict.

Speaking about Bieber at the time, Liam noted: ‘He had grown as a person.’

He then recalled telling Bieber: ‘I’ve always felt for you… number one, I’ve done all the things that you’ve done and I’ve never been caught for any of them… number two, I’ve always really felt for you, mate, and I think in our situation we all suffer from the same disease,’.

He then claimed he told the Canadian singer how, while he was able to lean on his bandmates in times of strife, Bieber was a solo artist who may not have had the same support system.

Payne claims Bieber’s response was: ‘Bro, that’s given me chills.’ From there, the pair became friends.

He added that, following his own experiences, he wanted to help other young men and boys entering the world of showbusiness deal with the overwhelming nature of the industry.

Liam told the same story to Rollacoaster magazine in 2017 where he described Bieber as ‘a great guy’ with ‘a really good heart’.

He added of the time he broke bread with the Canadian singer: ‘I said to him, ‘Take my number and any time you want a chat, let me know as I’m here and I understand exactly what you’re going through and I understand your world’.’  

Payne had had traces of a combination of drugs in his system – including ‘pink cocaine’ – when he plunged to his death from his hotel balcony, according to reports in Argentina.

Argentine police and prosecutors investigating the tragedy are treating it as an ‘inconclusive death’ – as they continue to hunt the drug dealer who supplied him that night.

In a fresh update on Monday, preliminary results from toxicology tests of Payne’s remains have found traces of cocaine, benzodiazepine, crack cocaine and ‘pink cocaine’ – which is a combination of methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA.

While tests on the substances – white powder, traces of chemical crystals and prescription medicines – found at his suite at the boutique hotel continue, results from a post mortem of his body have been completed.

It determined that the singer died instantly from multiple injuries after falling 45ft from the third floor.

An improvised aluminium pipe, commonly used to smoke crack cocaine, was also found in his hotel room, according to news reports.

Argentine news website Infobae reported: ‘A forensic study carried out in Liam’s body determined the presence of cocaine.

‘A test carried out by the [Buenos Aires] City Police on the substance found on Liam’s room table have not confirmed the white powder as cocaine.

‘A second test is to follow to determine the nature of the drug.’

A report by news network ABC added: ‘A partial autopsy found that the former One Direction singer, who died at 31, had multiple substances in his system when he fell to his death from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Oct. 16th.

‘Those substances included “pink cocaine” – a recreational drug that typically is a mix of several drugs including methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA and others – as well as cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack.

‘An improvised aluminium pipe to ingest drugs was also found in his hotel room.’

It comes as police continue to hunt for the drug dealer who supplied Mr Payne.

MailOnline revealed yesterday that two hotel staff members are being investigated for supplying the star with hard drugs in the days leading up to the tragedy.

A cleaner and another member of staff are said to have hidden the drugs in a Dove Soap box which detectives found in Mr Payne’s room following his death.

Mr Payne’s body will not be released to his father Geoff Payne until all examinations have been concluded, according to Argentine judicial sources.

A funeral is expected to take place in Britain in November.

Liam began his pursuit to stardom when he initially auditioned for X Factor in 2008.

At only 14-years-old Liam impressed judges with his own version of Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra – but was later eliminated from the show.

However Payne gave his singing career another go auditioning for the competition again in 2010, where he quickly shot to fame as part of One Direction.

He and his former bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, were brought together by Simon Cowell and former judge Nicole Scherzinger who saw their potential as a group.

After releasing five albums with one of the biggest boybands of all time, Liam released his first solo album titled LP1 in 2019.

His singles Strip That Down co-written with Ed Sheeran climbed its way to number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that same year.

Over the course of his music career, the popstar collaborated with the likes of J Balvin, French Montana, Dixie D’Amelio and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie.

He was previously in a relationship with British pop sensation Cheryl Cole and the pair welcomed their son Bear Grey on March 22, 2017. The parents later split in 2018.

He was previously in a relationship with British pop sensation Cheryl Cole and the pair welcomed their son Bear Grey on March 22, 2017

Following his romance with the Girls Aloud singer, Liam had an on-and-off relationship with ex-fiancée Maya Henry, and the pair called it quits in May, 2022.