Liam Payne’s devastated sister Ruth has broken her silence with the heartbreaking message: “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you”.
In a post shared to Instagram, she said she was struggling to comprehend the week’s tragic events and all she wanted to do was ‘drive to her brother’s house and speak to him’.
“One last time I need you to know, I’m here if you need anything. I’d drive to the end of the universe to bring you back,” she shared.
Writing in an open letter to Liam, Ruth said she knew that the singer ‘never believed he was good enough.’ Ruth said all Liam wanted was to be loved and make people happy with his music, reports the Mirror.
“You’ve had to try really hard to overcome all that was being aimed at you,” she said in the heartbreaking post.
The 31-year-old singer died after falling from the third floor of a hotel balcony in Argentina on Wednesday. He had recently flown to Buenos Aires to support One Direction star Niall Horan on tour.
His heartbroken dad Geoff Payne was seen arriving at the CasaSur Hotel yesterday, and later taking time to read messages from fans that had been left outside.
Liam had a close-knit bond with his family, and fondly spoke of sisters Ruth and Nicola being his ‘friends for life.’
His parents flew to Buenos Aires on Thursday morning to begin the process of bringing their son home.
Speaking for the first time about the loss, sister Ruth took to Instagram to share a heartfelt tribute to her ‘brother and best friend.’
Ruth wrote: “Liam, my brain is struggling to catch up with what’s happening and I don’t understand where you’ve gone. I just want to drive to your house and walk in to music blasting and find you sat there writing a song or walk into your art phases and sit with you while you draw or craft.”
She went on: “What I love most about you is your ability to make me laugh. I never chuckle as much as I do when I’m with you with anyone else. I’m always in awe of your talent it should be illegal to be so talented and just have the ability to not only be good at things but to be bloody great at everything you attempt, without even knowing you’re absolutely smashing it each time.”
“I love your kindness and how proud I am to call you my brother and my best friend. You also make a great Sunday dinner too!” she joked.
“I don’t feel this world was good enough or kind enough to have you, and quite often over the last few years you’ve had to really try hard to overcome all that was being aimed at you. You just wanted to be loved and to make people happy with your music. You never believed you were good enough. I hope you can now see this outpouring of love that you never received in your time.”
“Thank you for changing my life. Thank you for the incredible memories, thank you for being the best brother and friend I ‘ll ever have! We’ll take care of Bear and he will always know how incredible his dad is and how much you idolise him.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. Love you, oh how my heart misses you, Ru xxx” she signed off, before adding “One last time I need you to know, I’m here if you need anything. I’d drive to the end of the universe to bring you back.”
It comes after the singer’s family said they were “heartbroken” following his death, adding: “Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.”
His ex-partner Cheryl also paid her respects to the One Direction star, who she shared son Bear, 7, with.
She said: “As I try to navigate this earth shattering event, and work through my own grief at this indescribably painful time, I’d like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being,” she wrote in a post on Instagram.
Sharing a black and white picture of Payne in bed with his young son Bear, she added: “Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our 7 year old son.
“A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again.”
The 41-year-old concluded the statement urging people to give Payne “the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last”.
Earlier this week it was revealed that Liam had been dropped by his record label days before he died and had parted ways with his long-term public relations manager in recent months. Fans had voiced their concerns that the star had been ‘acting erratically’ in recent weeks, after he was seen putting on an animated appearance at Niall Horan’s concert and in various SnapChat videos.
Police are said to be probing whether drugs were a factor in his death.
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