The family of Liam Payne has broken their silence after the former One Direction singer died in Argentina on Wednesday.
In a statement to the BBC on Thursday, Payne's family said, "We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we'll remember him for his kind, funny, and brave soul."
"We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time," the statement concluded.
Payne, 31, reportedly died after falling from the third floor into the internal courtyard of the CasaSur hotel, located in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, resulting in "extremely serious injuries." According to local authorities, Payne fractured his skull and medics confirmed his death on the spot.
In a 911 call moments before Payne's death, one of the hotel's senior staff reported that a man was behaving aggressively and may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Newsweek has contacted representatives for Payne for comment.
Payne is survived by his parents Karen and Geoff Payne, as well as his older sisters Nicola and Ruth Payne.
The English-born musician also shares a 7-year-old son Bear with former judge of the British X Factor, Cheryl Cole, the show where One Direction was formed in 2010.
"We are heartbroken by the sad passing of Liam Payne," a post Thursday on The X Factor's Instagram page reads.
"He was immensely talented and, as part of One Direction, Liam will leave a lasting legacy on the music industry and fans around the world. Our thoughts are with his friends, family and all who loved him."
Horan, nor any of the other One Direction members Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik have addressed Payne's death amid an outpouring of celebrity tributes Wednesday.
Styles' mom Anne Twist seemingly responded to the news of her son's colleague's death, posting a photo of the broken heart emoji Wednesday on Instagram.
Their breakout song "What Makes You Beautiful," as well as "Night Changes," "Story of My Like," and "Drag Me Down" all have over 1 billion Spotify streams. Despite the group going on hiatus in 2016, One Direction has over 42 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
After the band split, Payne pursued a solo career and saw success with songs like "Bedroom Floor," "Get Low," and "Strip That Down" - the latter of which has over 1 billion Spotify streams.
He most recently released his song "Teardrops," which was co-written by NSYNC's JC Chasez.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741 741 or go to 988lifeline.org.