Nicole Scherzinger Honors Liam Payne, Reveals They Were Texting on the Day of His Passing
Nicole Scherzinger maintained her connection with the late One Direction star, Liam Payne, right up until his final day, as revealed by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. The 76-year-old, who wrote the music for Broadway's Sunset Blvd., starring Scherzinger, shared this during a Billboard interview on October 24.
“I suppose something that hasn't been said, and I suppose I could say, is that of course she mentored Liam from One Direction,” Lloyd Webber disclosed about Scherzinger. “On the Wednesday when he died, she was still texting him that day.”
Despite the tragic news of Payne's passing, Scherzinger courageously took the stage that evening as Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd..
“She'd just heard that he died and the fact that she even did the show at all is extraordinary. I mean, she is an amazing, amazing woman,” Lloyd Webber expressed. “She is without any question one of the finest performers I've ever worked with.”
Scherzinger and Payne first crossed paths in 2010 when he auditioned as a teenager on The X Factor UK, where she was a judge. From the very beginning, she championed his talent.
Their professional relationship continued recently as they both served as judges on a new Netflix talent show called Building the Band. Kelly Rowland from Destiny's Child also judged alongside them while AJ McLean from The Backstreet Boys hosted. Although Netflix greenlit the show in May and filming wrapped in August, its future remains uncertain following Payne's tragic death.
Scherzinger posted a heartfelt tribute to Liam on Instagram:
Dear Liam,
I will forever cherish and treasure the time we shared together, from fifteen years ago when One Direction was born to 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.
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 those who truly knew you. I will “miss you” my friend and carry you in my heart. My thoughts and prayers are with your family. 🙏🏽♥️
Liam Payne tragically passed away on Wednesday, October 16. He died after falling from his hotel room's third-story balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. An autopsy report indicated that he suffered from “multiple traumas” involving “internal and external hemorrhage.”