Photo: Getty Images
Nicole Scherzinger is mourning the death of her friend Liam Payne following the singer's tragic death on October 16th.
The Pussycat Dolls alum was a judge on "The X Factor" when Liam auditioned a second time in 2010 and played a pivotal role in the formation of One Direction.
Scherzinger shared a tribute to the star via Instagram a week after his passing, shining a spotlight on memories they shared that spanned nearly 15 years.
"I will forever cherish and treasure the time we shared together, from fifteen years ago when One Direction was born, right up until just a few weeks ago. It was such a blessing to get to work with you recently. We shared the same love and passion for music and I will forever remember the meaningful and joyful conversations we had."
The "Buttons" star offered her thoughts and prayers to Liam's family and revealed that she would miss his "joy, light, and laughter" very much.
Scherzinger sat down with Good Morning America on Friday (October 25) to discuss the painful loss and the role she played in Liam's life.
"Liam and I were quite close, especially because we recently did a show on Netflix together called building the band. And so, yeah, I’m heartbroken. I’m heartbroken for Liam, I’m heartbroken for his family and his loved ones and his friends."
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, who composed the music for Scherzinger’s Broadway musical Sunset Blvd, told Billboard that the icon was actually texting with Liam the day of his passing.
"On the Wednesday when he died, she was still texting him that day, and [that evening] the reviewers came in [to SUNSET], she’d just heard that he died. And the fact that she even did the show at all is extraordinary."
Liam fell from a third-story balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina last week, resulting in very serious injuries including a cranial fracture and internal and external hemorrhaging that ultimately led to his devastating death.
He is remembered by his 7-year-old son, Bear, parents, Geoff and Karen, sisters Nicola and Ruth, One Direction bandmates, and directioners across the globe.
See Scherzinger's full tribute to the "Strip That Down" standout below.