Nicole Scherzinger recently opened up about the tragic death of her friend Liam Payne, a member of the British boy band One Direction.

In an emotional interview with The London Times, Scherzinger shared that she had been exchanging “just chit-chat and pretty light” texts with Payne on the day he died in Argentina.

Scherzinger, who helped form One Direction on The X Factor UK in 2010, had remained close friends with Payne over the years. They even collaborated again on Netflix’s Building the Band, which aired earlier this year.

“I just adored Liam. He had such a good heart,” Scherzinger said, recalling how she barely knew him when she put the band together.

Tragically, Payne died on October 16, 2024, at the age of 35, after falling from a third-story hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.

Scherzinger learned of his death just hours before her performance in the Broadway revival of Sunset Boulevard, where she played the lead role of Norma Desmond.

Despite her grief, she chose to continue with the show, dedicating a part of the performance to Payne every night.

“From then on, I dedicated a little part of the show to Liam every night. Just a little moment that always made me think of him,” Scherzinger shared.

She also reflected on the importance of compassion in the world, saying, “We need more compassion in the world. Our phones are our enemies as much as they help us. I wish we’d cancel cancel culture.”

In a heartfelt Instagram post weeks after Payne’s death, Scherzinger wrote, “Dear Liam, I will forever cherish and treasure the time we shared together… You brought so much joy, light, and laughter to the lives of those that truly knew you. I will ‘miss you’ my friend and carry you in my heart.”