Liam Payne’s sister Ruth Gibbins has shared an emotional tribute to mark six months since the former One Direction star’s tragic death, discussing her ongoing grief and struggle to cope with the loss of her brother.
The heartfelt post comes exactly half a year after Payne died on October 16, 2024, after falling from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In her moving message, Ruth revealed she still finds it “impossible” to live without her brother, saying she now simply “exists” rather than lives, writing: “My head is still screaming for you. Each morning on waking, I feel like I am plunged underwater, gasping for air that never comes to relieve me.”
“Living without you is impossible, so for now, I exist. I’m learning to laugh or smile in the right places, but mate, it’s exhausting when all I want to do is speak to you.”
Her raw and candid words have resonated with thousands of fans who have flooded the comments with messages of support, including former bandmate Louis Tomlinson’s three sisters.
Payne, who was 31 at the time of his death, had been in Argentina to attend a concert by his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan and was witnessed dancing at the gig, accompanied by his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, who had left Argentina to return to their home in Florida shortly before the tragedy occurred.
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A preliminary autopsy revealed Payne died from “multiple injuries involving internal and external hemorrhage”, with an inquest earlier this month further revealing he had a blood-alcohol concentration “of up to 2.7 grams per litre” at the time of his death.
In her tribute, Ruth shared glimpses of cherished memories with her brother, writing: “In the few moments I allow myself to feel love and not just loss, I can really smile at memories of us, like last year when we were doubled over laughing at us trying to make something we’d seen on YouTube.”
She added that these memories are “always tinged with sadness at how unfair it is we can’t make new ones”.
Ruth also described how she still feels Liam’s presence, saying: “I can sometimes hear you laughing at me walking around like Whoopi Goldberg in ‘ghost’, looking for you everywhere I go.”
She concluded her emotional post with: “For now, I’ll meet you in my dreams.”
In her latest tribute, Ruth vowed to continue honouring her brother’s memory, writing: “I can’t process what’s happened and the finality of it, you know I will never stop doing all I can for you.”
Liam’s funeral took place in Buckinghamshire in November 2024 and was attended by all four of his former One Direction bandmates – Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson.
Cheryl Cole, the mother of Liam’s son Bear, was also present at the service.
The gathering marked a rare reunion for the band members, who came together to pay their respects to their friend and former colleague.
Meanwhile, Liam’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy recently appeared on Jay Shetty’s podcast, where she shared their final conversation, revealing his haunting last words to her.
She explained: “I remember sitting there with him and I was going on and on and on about how much I love him and he laughed and interrupted me, and was like: ‘Kate, you’re gonna miss your flight, your car is in the driveway’.”
He then supposedly added: “You’re acting like this is the last time you are ever gone see me again.”