Justin Bieber pays emotional tribute to Liam Payne

Five days after Liam Payne's sudden death at the age of 31, Justin Bieber has expressed his sorrow with a heartfelt tribute to his former rival.

The singer shared a moving video on Instagram, showing floral tributes and heartfelt messages in memory of Liam, accompanied by the caption: "Rest easy, Liam," followed by a broken heart emoji.

Liam Payne, who was a key member of the chart-topping boyband One Direction, tragically died after falling from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The fatal fall caused multiple injuries, leading to "internal and external hemorrhaging," and Payne passed away instantly.

The voiceover in Bieber's tribute video captured the emotions of grieving fans: "You are allowed to grieve as a fan.

"You are allowed to love someone you've never met. You are allowed to admire someone for their art. You are allowed to cry, to break, to feel like a part of you is gone."

How Payne and Bieber Reconciled

While Bieber and Payne had their share of rivalry in the past, it eventually led to a surprising friendship.

Their feud began when a YouTube video surfaced, showing Payne seemingly taking a jab at the Canadian pop star. However, in 2022, Liam shared how the tension between them dissolved after a sincere conversation.

Speaking on Logan Paul's Impaulsive podcast, Payne revealed he once made a comment about Bieber while drunk on Instagram, saying, "Well, the only thing between me and him is I haven't been arrested."

Though he didn't intend to insult Bieber, this led to tension. "It started some beef," he admitted.

As their shared fan base often compared them, the feud escalated. But eventually, Payne decided to address the conflict in person at an awards show, telling Bieber, "I've always felt for you. I've done all the things you've done and never been caught for them."

Payne also recognized that Bieber, as a solo artist, didn't have the same support system as One Direction members did.

Following this conversation, the two singers became friends, with Bieber telling Payne, "Bro, that's given me chills." Liam later described Bieber as "a great guy" with "a really good heart."