Harry Styles and Liam Payne have been good friends since their time in the One Direction band. Now the former is sharing what he’s learned about life after losing his friend.
In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, he reflects on Payne’s death, saying, “I think there was a period when he passed away where I really struggled with recognizing how strange it is to let people have their own share of your grief in a way.”
He continues, “I have such strong feelings about my friend’s passing. And then suddenly, you know, like there’s a desire for other people to somehow convey that, or it means that you’re not feeling what you’re feeling or something, you know?”
The One Direction alum also notes that Payne’s death led him to make a decision about how he would spend his life next.
“It’s so hard to lose a friend. It’s hard to lose any friend, but it’s so hard to lose a friend who is so much like you in so many ways,” he said, adding, “It’s like I saw someone with the kindest heart who just wanted to be great.”
“It was a really important moment for me to look at my life and be able to say to myself, ‘Okay, what do I want to do with my life? How do I want to live my life?’
“And I think the best way you can honor your deceased friends is to live your life to the fullest, as a super special person and very sad.”
Payne died on October 16, 2024. He was 31.
