Liam Payne shared his hopes for his own legacy at a public event two years before his passing last week. Payne died on Wednesday, Oct. 16 to the shock of fans and colleagues around the world. That prompted one person to share a clip from a 2022 panel where Payne was asked what he hoped he would be remembered for after he died.
“Honestly, just being a nice guy,” Payne said at the time. “I’d rather be known for being a nice guy than anything else.” The singer referenced his son Bear, saying: “For me now, it’s trying to give everybody the time they deserve with you if that’s the thing they’re excited about. It doesn’t matter what they say or what they do. You just gotta give your time and effort into those people. Because it comes back. So, yeah, I’d rather be known for being nice than anything else.”
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Payne was in Buenos Aires, Argentina last week when he passed away. The 31-year-old had been on vacation with his girlfriend, influencer Kate Cassidy; according to a report by E! News their trip had been extended from five days to two weeks. While there, they saw Payne’s former One Direction bandmate perform in the city. Cassidy finally left to head home on Oct. 12, and a few days later Payne fell from the balcony of his third-floor hotel room.
Investigators have confirmed that the traumatic injuries from the fall caused Payne’s death, and also that substance abuse was a factor. They said that “due to the position in which the body was left,” Payne “did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself and that he could have fallen in a state of semi or total unconsciousness.” The police also found evidence of illicit drug use and heavy drinking in the hotel room, which was violently destroyed.
Payne first opened up about his history with substance abuse last spring, revealing that he had gotten sober in February of 2023. He said that he had developed an alcohol dependency to cope with the pressures of fame. Reports about his behavior in the hours before his death strongly hinted that he was drinking at the time.
Cassidy remembered Payne as an “angel” in her social media tribute. She wrote: “Nothing about the past few days have felt real. I ask and pray that you give me the grace and space to navigate this in private… I want you to know I loved you unconditionally and completely. I will continue to love you for the rest of my life.”
