Harry Styles Reflects on Navigating One Direction Bandmate Liam Payne’s Death: ‘It’s So Difficult to Lose a Friend’

Harry Styles is still mourning the death of his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, sharing that it has been challenging losing a close friend.

The singer spoke with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe in a Wednesday interview, coinciding with the release of his new album, “Kiss All the Time, Disco Occasionally,” when he reflected on Payne and people who have struggled to overcome “extraordinary situations.”

“I think there was a period when he passed away where I really struggled with kind of like acknowledging how strange it is to have people kind of like own part of your grief in a way,” Styles explained. “I have such strong feelings around my friend passing away. And then suddenly being aware of there’s maybe like a desire from other people of you to convey that in some way, or it means you’re not feeling what you’re feeling or something, you know?”

Styles added that not only has it been hard to lose a friend, but a friend whom you have so much in common with.

“It’s difficult to lose any friend, but it’s so difficult to lose a friend who is so like you in so many ways,” he shared, adding that Payne’s death has made him reevaluate how he lives his life.

“It’s like, I saw someone with the kindest heart who just wanted to be great,” he added. “It was a really important moment for me in terms of taking a look at my life and being able to say to myself, ‘OK, what do I want to do with my life? How do I want to live my life?’ And I think the greatest way you can honor your friends who pass away is by living your life to the fullest. Like super special person and really sad.”

It’s been a little over a year since Payne died in October 2024. The singer-songwriter died after falling from the balcony of his CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires. He was 31.

A spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality said at the time in a statement to the AP that the musician appeared to have “thrown himself from the balcony of his room.” They also said police were called to the hotel due to an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

You can watch Styles’ full interview in the video above.

The post Harry Styles Reflects on Navigating One Direction Bandmate Liam Payne’s Death: ‘It’s So Difficult to Lose a Friend’ appeared first on TheWrap.