Boy George, 63, has expressed regret over a “not very nice” comment he made about Liam Payne before the One Direction star's passing. The "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" singer shared that he was deeply moved by news coverage of Payne’s father, Geoff, in Argentina following his son's death. Geoff had traveled to Buenos Aires to assist local authorities in their investigation and to bring Liam's body back to the UK.
Boy George and Culture Club announced their 2023 tour, The Letting It Go Show
“In the case of Liam Payne, I watched him a few days before it happened … I remember watching online, and I’d actually put a message under a post saying, ‘He’s off his nut,’ which wasn’t very nice but I felt it. I felt like he was out of control.” George, shared during the November 21 episode of the “High Performance” podcast with Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes.
“And when it happened, it just hit me. The same way that Amy Winehouse hit me. Because it felt so senseless.” he said, reflecting on Payne's tragic fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on October 16.
“I was up at 5 in the morning and it came up on the American news and I was literally like, ‘What the f—?’”I was literally like, ‘No, this isn’t real.’ I couldn’t take it in. I think everybody felt like that.” Boy George said. “Somebody tweeted to me: ‘You only care because he’s good-looking.’ I think, ‘F— off. You’re an idiot,’” George said. “I care about his family … I watched the dad. Heartbreaking. I was quite tearful about it. I really felt very sad.”
Liam Payne was remembered in a private funeral service in Amersham, England, on Wednesday, November 20. His former One Direction bandmates—Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson—attended, marking the first time the four surviving members reunited since Malik left the group in 2015.
Payne's girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, 25, was seen at the funeral alongside his ex-girlfriend, Cheryl Cole, who shares a 7-year-old son named Bear with him. Also present at the funeral were notable figures such as Simon Cowell, James Corden, and Cheryl's Girls Aloud bandmates, Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts.
In early November, prosecutors in Buenos Aires filed charges against three individuals related to Payne's death. Braian Nahuel Paiz, along with two others, faces accusations of abandonment resulting in death and involvement in the distribution and provision of narcotics.
Braian Nahuel Paiz expressed his willingness to fully assist the police in their investigation regarding Payne’s death. He stated: "I want to contribute everything: my phone, everything to the investigation. I have nothing that can harm me. … The other thing is to contribute what I saw personally and what I experienced firsthand.”
Related: Liam Payne’s Autopsy and Toxicology Reports Finalized: Official Cause of Death Disclosed
