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Liam Payne’s ex-girlfriend Danielle Peazer has candidly spoken out about the singer’s death.
The 36-year-old dancer took to her Instagram Story on October 19 to share a tribute to Payne, who died Wednesday evening after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After noting that she’s spent the last few days “trying to process the news of Liam’s death,” Peazer expressed her gratitude to fans who’ve sent her messages of support.
“Thank you to anyone who has taken the time to call, text, or DM sending condolences and offering support,” Peazer, who dated Payne from 2010 to 2012 wrote. “I’m so grateful and it’s helped more than you know.”
She continued: “In time I will share more, but right now I don’t feel mentally strong enough to face the reality of what happened.”
After she candidly addressed her grief in this difficult time, she hit back at some of the unkind comments she’s received since Payne’s passing. She also defended the relationship that she and the former One Direction singer have had.
“Like all of us, I too am grieving, and need to take some time to do that privately,” Peazer continued. “It’s a heartbreaking time, which has already been made so much more challenging due to receiving negative and misinformed comments as well as preconceived judgment from those who don’t personally know me, Liam, or anything about our relationship over the last 14 years.”
She concluded her statement with a message to her followers, writing: “I will be back soon when I’m ready, but until then please take care of yourselves and each other.”
Peazer and Payne first met on The X Factor, which he competed in alongside the other four members of One Direction. In 2010, Peazer was a backup dancer on the show, and she went on to date Payne for two years until 2012.
The two exes continued to stay in touch, as they were spotted holding hands in New York City a few months after their breakup, as reported byE! News. In June 2022, the Daily Mail shared photos of the pair leaving London’s Nobu Hotel together.
They went on to have separate relationships, as Peazer welcomed her first child in May with her partner, Sonny Jay. At the time of his death, Payne was dating Kate Cassidy, who recently broke her silence on his passing.
“Thank you for all of the kind words and love that has been sent my way. I have been at a complete loss,” she wrote on her Instagram Story on October 18. “Nothing about the past few days have felt real. I ask and pray that you’ll give me the grace and space to navigate this in private.”
She concluded: “Liam, my angel. You are everything. I want you to know I loved you unconditionally and completely. I will continue to love you for the rest of my life. I love you Liam.”
Payne’s former bandmates – Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan – also issued a joint tribute, describing their friend as a “kind, funny and brave soul.”
A preliminary autopsy indicated that Payne had suffered “internal and external” hemorrhages and multiple traumatic injuries, according to the report seen by multiple outlets. Officials said Payne’s plunge from the third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel was what caused his fatal injuries. A toxicology report is still pending.
Payne was pronounced dead on October 16, after emergency services responded to a hotel manager’s call about an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”