CNN
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Nicole Scherzinger was a part of Liam Payne’s career rise and now she’s paying tribute to him.
Payne died recently after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31.
The group that made him famous, One Direction, was formed on the UK reality competition show “The X Factor,” while Scherzinger was a judge.
She took to social media on Thursday to write: “Dear Liam, 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,” her post continued. “We shared the same love and passion for music and I will forever remember the meaningful and joyful conversations we had.”
Scherzinger added that it’s “been so hard to process that you’re no longer here, but I am grateful to have known your kind heart, sweet soul and character.”
“You brought so much joy, light, and laughter to the lives of those that truly knew you,” she concluded. “I will “miss you” my friend and carry you in my heart. My thoughts and prayers are with your family.”
Scherzinger, a former member of the Pussycat Dolls, is currently starring in “Sunset Blvd.” on Broadway, which includes the compositions of the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Webber talked to Billboard about Scherzinger discovering her mentee Payne had died.
“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,” Webber said. “And the fact that she even did the show at all is extraordinary. I mean she is an amazing, amazing woman. She is without any question one of the finest performers I’ve ever worked with.”
CNN has reached out to representatives for Scherzinger for confirmation/comment.
