"Liam will forever live in our hearts and we'll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul," his family said in a statement . "We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time."
Celebrities Charlie Puth , Paris Hilton , Mabel, and Zedd had earlier expressed their devastation on social media.
Tributes continued pouring in Thursday morning.
Dermot O'Leary, host of The X Factor when One Direction was formed on the British singing competition in 2010, described Payne's passing as "the worst news."
"I remember him as a 14 year old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra," O'Leary said. "He just loved to sing."
He added, "He was always a joy , had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble."
Payne and the other members of One Direction had appeared in Season 7 of the show.
Anne Twist, mother to Styles, captioned an Instagram post, "Just a boy."
Olly Murs, who had also appeared on The X Factor , said that he was "lost for words."
"We always had a good laugh when we saw each other," he wrote on social media. "Sometimes the catch ups were only short and sweet but when we did it was mostly about how annoyingly good his hair always looked, or our love for Becks, the old XF days and the tour we shared together."
"Liam shared the same passions as me, the same dreams," he continued. "So to see his life now end so young hits hard . I'm truly gutted and devastated for his family and of course his son Bear losing a dad..."
ITV, the home network of The X Factor , said Payne's death was "a tragic loss to everyone who knew him personally, and to the global fanbase who took One Direction to their hearts."
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