Liam Payne's Ex-Girlfriend Naomi Campbell Breaks Silence On His Death

Just over a week after Liam Payne’s tragic passing on October 16, Naomi Campbell, who briefly dated the former One Direction band member in early 2019, paid tribute to him on Instagram.

As The Blast reported, Payne tragically passed away on Wednesday, October 16, after reportedly falling from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. According to hotel staff, the 31-year-old was acting erratically and appeared under the influence of “drugs and alcohol,” with reports of him “trashing his room.” An initial toxicology report confirmed the presence of cocaine, and authorities discovered prescription drugs and paraphernalia in his suite.

While numerous celebrities, including Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger, and Liam Payne’s former bandmates, have expressed their grief, Naomi Campbell had remained silent until now.

Rather than posting separately, the supermodel, who dated Payne for about four months, left a meaningful comment under Nicole Scherzinger’s heartfelt post honoring the 31-year-old singer. Campbell's response consisted of a few symbolic emojis, subtly conveying her emotions and support during the difficult time.

Scherzinger posted about Payne's death on Friday, October 25, expressing that it is "so hard to process that you’re no longer here," but she is "grateful to have known your kind heart, sweet soul and character."

Scherzinger and Simon Cowellplayed pivotal roles in the creation of One Direction during "The X Factor"’s 2010 season. When Payne auditioned as a solo artist, they decided to group him with Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik, ultimately forming the globally successful boy band.

“I will forever cherish and treasure the time we shared together, from fifteen years ago when One Direction was born, right up until just a few weeks ago,” Scherzinger wrote on Instagram, which included two photos of her, Payne and Kelly Rowland.

“It was such a blessing to get to work with you recently. We shared the same love and passion for music and I will forever remember the meaningful and joyful conversations we had.”

Each member of the band released individual statements following a joint one to pay tribute to the late singer.

Zayn Malik expressed, “Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but think selfishly that there are so many more conversations for us to have in our lives. I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life."

He continued, "When I was missing home as a 17-year-old kid, you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know that you were my friend and that I loved. Even though you were younger than me you were always more sensible than me, you were headstrong, opinionated, and gave no f-ck about telling people when they were wrong. Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, I always secretly respected you for it.”

Harry Styles, also reflected on his former bandmate, describing him as a person who "lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve." Styles recalled Payne as "warm, supportive, and incredibly loving,"

According to the Argentinian newspaper LA NACION, law enforcement officials conducted a search of the hotel premises after uncovering new evidence that raised suspicions about the circumstances of Payne’s fall. The authorities are reportedly investigating whether other factors may have contributed to the tragic incident, prompting a deeper look into the situation.

“Personnel from the Special Investigations Division and the Special Technological Investigations Division were deployed [Wednesday] afternoon to the CasaSur Hotel in Palermo where the singer Liam Payne lost his life last week to carry out a raid […] to obtain elements of interest for the investigation,” a police source told LA NACION on Thursday, October 24.

Authorities have seized computers, phones, and various electronic devices from the hotel as part of their investigation. They are analyzing digital communications and logs to gain insight into the events leading up to Payne's death.

Additionally, the hotel has been instructed to provide further security camera footage to assist in the ongoing investigation.

A source close to Payne's girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, disclosed that his "erratic behavior" intensified after she left their vacation.

"You could see from the Snapchat videos that he was a different person around her, the insider told People Magazine.

Cassidy, who returned to her home in Miami, Florida, two days before Payne’s death, explained that they initially planned to stay in Argentina for five days, but the trip was unexpectedly extended, leaving Payne alone after her departure.