Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, whose chart-topping British boy band generated a global following of swooning fans, was found dead Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires,

Styles’ mom, Anne Twist, also paid tribute to Payne the night he died. She shared a photo on Instagram of a broken heart and wrote, “Just a boy…” Styles and Payne met when they appeared on “The X Factor UK” in 2010.

Liam Payne's family have issued a "heartbroken" statement following the One Direction star's tragic death. The singer died aged 31 following an alleged fall from a balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires,

Liam Payne, the former One Direction member, tragically passed away at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Fans are heartbroken over his untimely death, mourning the loss of a beloved artist.

The father of former One Direction star Liam Payne’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, said his daughter is heartbroken by the sudden, tragic death of her pop star boyfriend. “She’s grieving,” he told a Post reporter Thursday morning from the front door of their family home in Harrington Park,

"We are supporting each other the best we can," the family added in their statement, per the BBC JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Liam Payne in London on June 25, 2019 Liam Payne's family is "heartbroken" following the singer's sudden death at age 31.