Rita Ora remembered late friend and collaborator Liam Payne during the MTV European Music Awards on Nov. 10. The former One Direction singer died on Oct. 16 in Argentina.
Rita Ora is honoring her friend Liam Payne‘s legacy.
The 33-year-old singer remembered the singer, who died at the age of 31 on Oct. 16—following a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina—at the MTV European Music Awards on Nov. 10.
“Liam Payne was one of the kindest people I knew and there were so many ways that we were thinking about honoring him and I think sometimes simply speaking is enough,” the “Your Song” singer said as she held back tears. “He had the biggest heart and was always the first person to offer help in any way he could.”
Rita, who collaborated with Liam on the 50 Shades Freed duet “For You,” became overcome with emotion as she remembered his light.
“He brought so much joy to every room he walked into,” she continued through tears. “He left such a mark on this world. So let’s just take a moment to remember our friend Liam.”
Rita’s tribute rolled into a video montage of the “Strip That Down” singer which was set to the One Direction song “Night Changes.”
Prior to the awards ceremony, Rita honored her friend with a tribute on social media.
“I’m devastated,” Rita wrote alongside photos of herself and Liam in an Oct. 16 Instagram post. “He had the kindest soul, I will never forget. I loved working with him so much—he was just such a joy to be around on and off stage. This tragic news breaks my heart. Sending all my love and prayers to his family and loved ones. Our song ‘For You’ takes on a whole new meaning for me now. R.I.P.”
The following day, Rita abruptly left the stage as she tried to perform their debut during a concert in Osaka, Japan.
As the band began to perform the song, Rita told the crowd, “I can’t even sing this right now,” before walking off the stage while the band played the backing music and a photo of her and Liam flashed on the stage’s screen.
In 2018, the “Party” singer gushed about working on the debut with Liam.
“I definitely made a great friend during the process,” Rita told Elle at the time. “He’s definitely a lovely person and a joy to work with.”
Liam’s death was due to traumatic injuries and internal and external hemorrhaging he suffered after he fell from the balcony of the Casa Sur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires. On Nov. 7, Argentina’s Prosecutor’s office—headed by prosecutor Andrés Esteban Madrea—confirmed that the singer’s death was not intentional, as he was not fully conscious at the time of the fall.
Toxicology testing revealed that Liam had alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his body.
Amid the ongoing investigation into Liam’s tragic passing, authorities have charged three people in connection to the incident.
