Nicole Scherzinger pays tribute to ‘sweet’ Liam Payne after texting on the day of his death

Nicole Scherzinger honored nan precocious Liam Payne aft it was revealed that nan Pussycat Dolls frontwoman had been texting nan erstwhile One Direction member nan time he tragically died.

“Dear Liam, I will everlastingly cherish and wealth nan clip we shared together, from 15 years agone erstwhile One Direction was born, correct up until conscionable a fewer weeks ago,” Scherzinger, 46, wrote connected Instagram Friday alongside 2 selfies of nan artists pinch Kelly Rowland.

The “Buttons” vocalist said moving pinch Payne was “such a blessing” aft shooting their forthcoming Netflix title series, “Building nan Band.”

“We shared nan aforesaid emotion and passion for euphony and I will everlastingly retrieve nan meaningful and joyful conversations we had,” she wrote.

Scherzinger shared that Payne’s abrupt decease has been difficult to process but that she is grateful she knew his “kind heart, saccharine psyche and character.”

“You brought truthful overmuch joy, light, and laughter to nan lives of those that genuinely knew you,” she continued. “I will ‘miss you’ my friend and transportation you successful my heart. My thoughts and prayers are pinch your family.”

Earlier this week, legendary composer Andrew Lloyd Webber — who worked pinch Scherzinger connected nan Broadway philharmonic “Sunset Boulevard” — revealed nan “Don’t Cha” vocalist had been texting pinch Payne connected nan time he died.

“I suppose thing that hasn’t been said, and I suppose I could say, is that of people [Scherzinger] mentored Liam from One Direction,” Webber, 76, told Billboard successful an question and reply published Thursday, adding, “On nan Wednesday erstwhile he died, she was still texting him that day.”

The impresario besides divulged Scherzinger had learned of Payne’s decease conscionable moments earlier she took to nan shape to execute successful her starring domiciled arsenic Norma Desmond.

“She’d conscionable heard that he died,” Webber said. “And nan truth that she moreover did nan show astatine each is extraordinary. I mean she is an amazing, astonishing woman.

“She is without immoderate mobility 1 of nan finest performers I’ve ever worked with.”

Scherzinger met Payne successful 2010 erstwhile she was 1 of nan “X Factor” judges who banded him together pinch his One Direction collaborators, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan.

“They’re conscionable excessively talented to get free of, and they’ve sewage conscionable nan correct look and nan correct charisma onstage,” she said astatine nan time, according to never-before-seen footage released successful 2022. “I deliberation they’ll beryllium really awesome successful a boy set together.

“They’re for illustration small stars,” Scherzinger continued. “You can’t get free of small stars. You put them each together.”

Years later, Scherzinger and Payne joined forces again for their Netflix project, successful which they were some judges. Production wrapped successful August.

Payne fell to his death from nan third-floor pavilion of his edifice room successful Buenos Aires, Argentina, connected Oct. 16. He was 31.

The popular prima had cocaine, ace and nan antidepressant benzodiazepine, among different drugs, in his strategy erstwhile he died, according to toxicology trial results.

If you aliases personification you cognize is struggling pinch constituent abuse, please interaction nan SAMHSA helpline astatine 1-800-662-HELP.