Justin Bieber Shares Heartbroken Liam Payne Tribute: ‘Rest Easy’

Justin Bieber is memorializing Liam Payne.

On October 16, Liam Payne’s unexpected death horrified millions.

Those who knew him, personally and professionally, have taken time to process their shock and express their grief.

One of those mourners is Justin Bieber. The fellow pop star is expressing his own heartbreak following this tragedy.

Liam Payne performs during Nickelodeon SlimeFest at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island on June 9, 2018. (Photo Credit: Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images for Nickelodeon)

Like everyone else, Justin Bieber is mourning Liam Payne

On Monday, October 21, Justin Bieber took to his Instagram Story to repost a tribute video for Liam Payne.

The original video shows fans placing flowers, photos, and balloons in the memory of the late One Direction singer.

Justin Bieber added his own caption, using an off-white font to write: “Rest easy, Liam” with a white heart emoji.

Copies of the video and screenshots circulated elsewhere on social media. Instagram Stories automatically delete, but people found Justin Bieber’s tribute to Liam Payne very moving.

For many years, there was a perceived rivalry between One Direction and Justin Bieber, as if their shared target audience could not enjoy music from both.

Obviously, that has changed. They are all adults (real adults; with various marriages and children in some cases), One Direction pretty famously broke up the better part of a decade ago, and this sort of tragedy transcends rivalry. Liam Payne has died. He was a father, and he was only 31.

Justin Bieber takes part in the draft during 2024 NHL All-Star Thursday at Scotiabank Arena on February 01, 2024. (Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Despite his past struggles, Liam Payne’s passing was a shock

On Wednesday, October 16, Liam Payne suffered a horrific fall from his third floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Though he had spent two weeks in South America, he had only stayed at that particular hotel for a matter of days — apparently checking in only after his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, had returned home to Florida.

Liam Payne was beyond saving when authorities found him on the ground of the courtyard. His toxicology report detailed a laundry list of drugs, including but not limited to cocaine, in his system. This corresponded with paraphernalia such as an aluminum pipe that authorities found in his damaged hotel room.

Liam Payne attends the World Premiere of “I Am Bolt” at Odeon Leicester Square on November 28, 2016. (Photo Credit: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Prior to Liam Payne’s passing, hotel employees had described him as behaving erratically.

An emergency call had described a hotel guest who had allegedly overindulged, who was causing destruction in his hotel room at times when he was not sleeping.

Liam Payne’s history of struggling with mental health and other issues was no secret. The tragedy is compounded because, as is so often the case with celebrity deaths, his passing will impact how the world remembers his life.

Liam Payne attends the MTV VMA Kickoff Concert presented by DirecTV Now at Terminal 5 on August 19, 2018. (Photo Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for MTV & DIRECTV NOW)

Everyone is mourning in their own way

Liam Payne’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, shared her own tribute on the Friday after his passing. “Liam, my angel. You are everything,” she wrote on Instagram.

“I want you to know I loved you unconditionally and completely,” Cassidy affirmed. “I will continue to love you for the rest of my life. I love you Liam.”

Though Liam Payne was troubled in life and clashed with many of those closest to him, he is dearly missed in death.