Louis Tomlinson makes heart-wrenching admission about grieving Liam Payne's death

20 October 2025, 12:57

Louis Tomlinson has opened up about dealing with grief after the passing of his One Direction bandmate Liam Payne.

Last Thursday (16th September), marked one year since the tragic death of singer-songwriter Liam Payne. At the time of Liam's passing, his former One Direction bandmate Louis Tomlinson was left devastated.

In a tribute to his late friend, Louis wrote: "I am beyond devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother. Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul."

Louis vowed to take care of Liam's son Bear, saying: "I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was."

Now, a year on, Louis has said he doesn't think think he'll ever be able to accept Liam's death.

• Read more: Louis Tomlinson reveals One Direction split came down to one member

Speaking to The Independent, he said: "I naively thought that, at this point, I’d unfortunately be a little bit more well versed with grief than other people my age."

"I thought that might mean something, but it didn’t at all," he said in reference to the loss of his mother, Joanna Deakin, who died from leukaemia in 2016, and the death of his 18-year-old sister, Félicité, who died from an accidental overdose just three years later.

Teary eyed, he spoke directly on Liam's death by saying: "It’s something I’ll never really accept. I don’t think."

The 33-year-old musician spoke fondly about Liam, adding: "Liam would always entertain me. If I was bored and wanted to have a laugh, he would play that role."

He spoke about how Liam showed up to support him when he appeared as a judge on The X Factor and at the premiere of his documentary, All of Those Voices, in 2023.

"This is in no way a comment aimed at the other boys — but I know if it was me, I would have struggled with that idea. There [would've been] a feeling of inferiority there, because you're the guest," he explained.

"But any opportunity Liam got like that, he was always, always there for me. Even if he might have been struggling, he put himself second and still turned up. Those moments are really a testament to the truth of who he was as a person."

Recently Louis addressed the possibility of a One Direction reunion with Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik after Liam's death. The star said: "Right now, I can’t foresee a time where I would actually feel comfortable doing that.

"Before Liam passed, I kind of always had it in the back of my mind. Like, ‘I’m sure we’ll do something, even if it’s just one big show.’ But now I’d be really surprised."

"I also kind of love that the last time that we were on stage together, Liam was there. That’s just so perfect," he added.

Read more One Direction news here:

• Louis Tomlinson's 'How Did We Get Here?' World Tour - How to get tickets
• Did Harry Styles drop an HS4 easter egg at his Pleasing pop up?
• Louis Tomlinson addresses One Direction reunion after Liam Payne's passing
• Liam Payne's sisters pen moving tributes on the anniversary of his death
• Niall Horan and girlfriend Amelia Woolley's complete relationship timeline

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