Rita Ora broke down in tears while on stage as she shared an emotional tribute to Liam Payne following his shock death at the age of 31.
The singer shared a black and white image of herself with the One Direction star. A fan page on social media shared a clip from Rita’s show and said: “Rita Ora, whom Liam collaborated with, displayed a picture of herself with Liam on the stage’s screen while she performed their song ‘For You’.”
Rita was singing a song she recorded with Liam, 31, when she broke down. The One Direction singer fell from a third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Wednesday evening with medics confirming his tragic death. Just hours after the news broke, Rita took to the stage in Osaka, Japan where she paid tribute to Liam, reports the Mirror.
Rita, who was pals with the star, struggled to finish their duet For You. The pair had released the track back in 2018 for the film Fifty Shades Freed. While performing the song, a picture of Rita and Liam was displayed behind her as she struggled to get through the lyrics of their song.
In a heartbreaking moment, Rita held her head in her hands as she turned away from the crowd and looked up and confessed: “I can’t even sing this right now.” For You was one of Liam’s two songs as a solo artist that reached the top 10 in the UK official charts.
Rita and Liam were believed to have been close friends. Liam had even moved into Rita’s £3.25m London penthouse in 2021 with his ex-fiancee Maya Henry. Posting on social media after her performance, Rita said: “I’m devastated. 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.”
Liam was on holiday in the Latin American country with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, but she had returned to her hometown in Florida just before his tragic death. Cops, firefighters and ambulances were seen outside of a hotel building after Liam tragically fell. Police are said to have been called to reports of a man acting aggressively at the hotel who could be under the effect of drink or drugs.
An autopsy has now shed light on Liam’s death and states his was consistent with a ten meter fall he suffered from the balcony of his room, located on the third floor of the Casa Sur hotel on Godoy Cruz Street. The report stated a toxicological and anatomical-pathological study of his blood and urine were being undertaken to determine whether there were any traces of drugs in his system.
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