Harry Styles’ mother, Anne Twist, is grieving for her son’s former One Direction bandmate, Liam Payne, after his tragic death at age 31.
Shortly after news outlets confirmed Payne’s passing on Wednesday, October 16, Twist took to Instagram to share a heartfelt three-word tribute.
“Just a boy… [broken red heart emoji],” she captioned a photo featuring a large broken heart emoji against a solid black background.
Fans flooded the comments section with condolences and urged the mother to look after the Watermelon Sugar hitmaker.
“Anne, take care of yourself, and please look after our Harry for us! Mental health is everything! We love you,” one fan hinted at the connection between Payne’s death and his mental health struggles, which he had openly discussed.
“Take care of Harry for us,” another fan added.
“Gone too soon and so young. Forever in our hearts, Liam,” a third comment read, accompanied by a broken heart emoji.
“I am in total shock. My condolences to your family and his family and friends,” expressed a fourth fan.
Payne was pronounced dead after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was part of one of the best-selling boy bands of all time before the group went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.
One Direction was formed in 2010 and included members Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson.