Liam Payne’s death was ‘wake-up call’ for One Direction bandmates which resulted in major change

Liam Payne’s death in October has reportedly brought his former One Direction bandmates – Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson – ‘back together’

Liam Payne’s death was ‘wake-up call’ for One Direction bandmates as it brought them ‘back together’ (Image: (Photo by JM Enternational/Getty Images))

The untimely passing of former One Direction member Liam Payne has led his bandmates to re-evaluate their connections – as the investigation into his death continues.

The group, consisting of Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson, have been brought closer together as they navigate their grief following Liam’s tragic death in October.

Reportedly, before this devastating event, the relationships among the members were not particularly tight since their indefinite break initiated back in 2016. However, they attended the funeral and appeared close together at times on the tragic day.

Some bonds, notably between Liam and Louis, as well as Liam and Niall, appeared stronger than others.

One Direction on stage together in 2014 (Image: Getty Images)

According to US Weekly, a source disclosed that Liam’s departure was a significant “wake-up call” prompting the singers to mend their fraternal ties: “[Liam’s death] was a wake-up call for all of them. Prior, they kept in touch sporadically but didn’t have close friendships at all,” said the source. With Liam’s unfortunate fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires still under inquiry, which has recently seen progress with a significant win for prosecutors, the remaining One Direction stars are processing the loss collectively.

Though still in mourning, they “They’re all still mourning but are checking in on each other and feel closer than they have in years,” added the insider. “It brought them back together.”

In November, marking a poignant reunion, Harry, Zain, Niall, and Louis attended Liam’s private funeral in Amersham, England – the first occasion the surviving members have gathered in public since Zayn’s departure from the band in 2015 and their subsequent hiatus.

Prior to that, the group had issued a joint statement, just a day after Liam’s passing, in which they expressed their devastation. Each member also paid their own personal tribute to Liam on their individual Instagram accounts.

The joint statement read: “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say,” “But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”

According to a source, the five members of One Direction had been discussing a final reunion show before Liam’s death, which has now been put on hold but is still being considered. The source revealed that the group would like to pay tribute to Liam, but are currently too grief-stricken to think about it as a concrete project, stating: “The guys would love to do a tribute to Liam. They’re all so devastated right now they can’t even think about that as a legitimate project, but it has been discussed,” “Liam’s death has caused the guys immense heartbreak.”