Zayn Malik admits he ‘butted heads’ with Liam Payne in frank tribute – but praises One Direction bandmate for ‘helping him through his darkest times’

Zayn Malik has admitted he’s been ‘talking out loud’ to his late bandmate Liam Payne following his tragic death aged 31, as he grapples with the complicated grief due to their sometimes tricky relationship. 

In a frank tribute, he acknowledged their ups and downs, saying the pair had ‘butted heads’, but thanked Liam for ‘helping him through his darkest times’ and poignantly said he’d hoped for a chance to rebuild their bond in the future. 

Zayn, 31, said he’d ‘lost a brother’ and had always ‘respected’ Liam as he broke his silence following the singer’s death in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Wednesday evening when he fell from a hotel balcony. 

Malik, who quit One Direction in 2015 citing ‘stress’ and stating he wanted to be a ‘normal 22-year-old’, had an up and down relationship with Liam – who called his bandmate a ‘d***’ when he appeared on Logan Paul’s podcast in 2022. 

In the same interview, he also spoke about a physical altercation where a bandmate threw him against a wall, and recently Liam’s ex-fiancée Maya Henry alleged that it was Zayn. 

Taking to Instagram on Thursday evening, Zayn wrote: ‘Liam I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives.

‘I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life.

‘When I was missing home as a 17-year-old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were my friend and that I was loved.

‘Even though you were younger than me you were always more sensible than me., you were headstrong, opinionated and gave no f**ks about telling people they were wrong.

‘Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, I always secretly respected you for it.’

Zayn famously left the band in 2015, and in 2016, he said he was ‘the closest with Liam’ when he was asked what his relationship with his former bandmates was like.

‘I’m still probably the closest to Liam. We talk on the phone. He congratulated me on my single. Which was nice. I congratulated him on his Brit Award,’ he said at the time.

However various tensions were revealed in the band after Liam claimed that he once got into a physical altercation with one of his bandmates during a very heated exchange during a podcast interview in 2022. 

While Liam declined to name them Liam’s ex-fiancée Maya Henry, who dated the star on and off for four years, revealed it was Zayn who allegedly threw him against a wall.

Zayn has never spoken out about the incident to confirm what happened. 

Meanwhile in the same interview on Logan Paul’s podcast Liam branded Zayn a ‘d***’ and discussed a post by Zayn’s then-girlfriend Gigi Hadid about how her partner was ‘respectful’.

The late star said there were ‘many reasons why I dislike Zayn’ but that he will ‘always be on his side’ because of Zayn’s alleged tough upbringing.

Building bridges he later apologised for the comments in 2023. 

Opening up about his 100-day rehabilitation stay in a Louisiana facility in a YouTube video Liam referenced the podcast as he remarked: ‘I think for me, a lot of what I said just came from the wrong place.

‘I was so angry at what was going on around me that instead of taking a look inwards I decided to take it outwards.’

Liam thought his anger stemmed from frustrations with his career and, rather than reflecting privately, he took his feelings out on others. He said: ‘I want to apologise for that.’ 

Zayn, along with Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan, were apparently there for Liam in his time of need.

Although he referenced their disagreements, Zayn’s tribute showed his respect for Liam as he continued: ‘When it came to the music Liam, you were the most qualified in every sense, I knew nothing in comparison, I was a novice child, with no experience and you were already a professional.

‘I was always happy to know, no matter what happened on stage we could always rely on you to know which way to steer the ship next.

‘I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what I’d give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly.

‘I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever, there is no words that justify or explain how I feel right now other than beyond devastated.

‘I hope that wherever you are right now you are good and are at peace, and you know how loved you are. Love you bro.’

However Zayn had also made a swipe at his bandmates after he left the group to pursue his own solo career. 

When the singer won his first solo American Music Award in 2016, Zayn asked in his acceptance speech: ‘This one has just my name on it, right?’ 

Last year, Zayn finally opened up on the ‘selfish’ reason he decided to quit One Direction during a candid interview and admitted that the group grew ‘sick of each other’ after being together daily for five years. 

Speaking to host Alex Cooper during an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Zayn explained: ‘I don’t want to go into too much detail, but I knew for a minute there was a lot of politics, certain people didn’t want to sign contracts and I knew something was happening so I was like I’ll just get ahead of the curb and get out of here, I think this is done.’

Meanwhile someone close to Zayn revealed the star ‘in absolute bits’ following Liam’s shock death.

A US music producer working with Zayn from One Direction told DailyMail.com exclusively that the singer is in ‘shock’ over Liam’s sudden passing.

They added that Zayn’s loved ones ‘don’t want him to be alone’ at the moment, so he is ‘surrounded by his friends.’ 

‘Zayn was told in the early hours of this morning and has been in absolute bits,’ they said. 

‘He is in shock, and his parents have been in touch with Liam’s family to offer their support and condolences. 

‘People close to Zayn don’t want him to be alone at the moment, so he is surrounded by friends.’

They said it ‘had been a while since Zayn and Liam had spoken’ due to ‘issues they had with one another in the past.’

‘But they respected each other from a distance,’ the insider explained. ‘They didn’t hate each other but they couldn’t see eye to eye on different things.

‘But they both felt that they had been exploited in the music industry.’

DailyMail.com has reached out to Zayn for comment. 

Zayn and Liam were put into the band One Direction together alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson after they auditioned as solo artists on the X Factor in 2010.

The group went on to become a massive success, releasing five wildly popular albums, dominating the charts, breaking multiple records, and embarking on numerous sold-out world tours. 

 Liam was declared dead after he fell 45-feet from the third floor into a courtyard at the Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo neighborhood in Buenos Aires. 

Authorities said he died instantly from multiple injuries, including a fractured skull. 

Argentinian media reported that police were called to the hotel beforehand over reports of an aggressive man who was believed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 

A hotel worker made two calls, saying in the first: ‘We have a guest who’s off his head on drugs and is destroying everything in his room. We need someone to come.’

He then phoned again, adding: ‘I don’t know if the guest’s life is in danger. The room has a balcony and we are afraid he might do something.’ 

Liam was said to have been ‘acting erratically in the hotel lobby and smashed his laptop’ before he ‘had to be carried back to his room,’ local media reported.

The singer’s family told DailyMail.com afterwards that they are ‘utterly devastated’ by his death.

‘We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,’ they added in a statement.

‘We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.’

Liam had arrived in Argentina earlier this month for his ex-bandmate Niall’s concert with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy. 

She left two days ago, explaining in a TikTok video that she ‘needed to go home,’ but he stayed in the South American country alone.

His shock passing comes days after his ex-fiancée Maya Henry started legal proceedings against him.

She reportedly served Liam with cease and desist papers last week after accusing him of repeatedly contacting her.