Zayn Malik In 'Shock' After Liam Payne's Heartbreaking Sudden Death
Zayn Malik is grieving the loss of his One Direction bandmate, Liam Payne's sudden and tragic death.
A US music producer working with Malik shared that he is in "shock" at the moment and that he is being surround by loved ones as he grieves the loss of Payne.
"Zayn was told in the early hours of this morning and has been in absolute bits," the producer told the Daily Mail.
"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," the source added.
They went on to shared that it had been some time since Malik and Payne had talked "due to issues they had with one another in the past," but that the pair still "respected each other from a distance."
Read more: Liam Payne's Death: Hotel Manager Said the Singer's 'Life is in Danger' During Frantic 911 Call
"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," the source concluded.
On Thursday, Malik shared a throwback picture of him and Payne and shared a heartbreaking message. He noted he was "beyond devastated."
"I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life," he said in part. "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."
The pair had famously had a tense relationship at times, but there were moments of support as well.
Malik once shared that he was the closest to Payne out of his bandmates.
"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," Malik said via the Daily Mail.
However, their relationship was strained at times with Payne sharing that he disliked Malik for "many reasons."
Together with Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, the boys formed One Direction, one of the most successful boybands of the 2010s. Over the course of their career, they scored hits like "What Makes You Beautiful," "You and I," "Night Changes" and "Best Song Ever."
Article originally published on 'Music Times.'
