Friends and musicians express heartbreak at the death of singer Liam Payne at age 31

LONDON (AP) — Friends, collaborators and fellow musicians expressed shock and sadness Thursday over the death of former One Direction singer Liam Payne, who died in Buenos Aires, Argentina Wednesday at age 31.

A look at some of the reactions:

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"We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.'' Statement from Payne's family via spokesperson.

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“Just a boy." Anne Twist, mother of former One Direction bandmate Harry Styles, posted on Instagram with a broken-heart emoji.

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“We are heartbroken by the sad passing of Liam Payne,” The X Factor’s official account on X, formerly Twitter.

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“I am shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Liam Payne. It was a pleasure to work with him on our X Factor performance. God bless Liam, thinking of all his loved ones. He will be dearly missed,″ Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones wrote on X.

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“I am in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me. He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I can not believe he is gone.” Singer Charlie Puth, who wrote a song for Payne’s solo debut album, on Instagram.

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“So upsetting to hear the news of @LiamPayne passing Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. RIP my friend," Paris Hilton wrote on X.

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"We greatly appreciate the compassion and kindness he always showed to people facing hunger and hardship. His death is a very tragic loss, and our thoughts are with his loved ones.” Emma Revie, chief executive of the U.K. food bank charity Trussell Trust.

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“We are deeply saddened by the news of Liam Payne’s passing. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the many fans who loved and supported him.″ Spotify on X.

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“R.I.P. Liam Payne wow I can’t believe it prayers up for the family.” Rapper Juicy J, who had Payne sing on the 2016 track “You.” Via X.

“RIP Liam… I can’t believe this is real… absolutely heartbreaking.” - Producer and DJ Zedd, who collaborated with Payne on the 2017 song “Get Low.” Via X.

FILE - One Direction's Zayn Malik, from left, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles pictured during an interview on Capital Breakfast with Dave Berry and Lisa Snowdon, in their studios in Leicester Square, in London, on Friday, Oct. 5, 2012. (Yui Mok/PA via AP, File)

FILE - Liam Payne arrives for the premiere of "The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader," at the Odeon Leicester Square, in London, Nov. 30, 2010. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)

People gather outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

FILE - Liam Payne performs during the first day of BBC Radio 1's Biggest Weekend at Singleton Park, in Swansea, Wales, May 26, 2018. (Ben Birchall/PA via AP, File)

Paris prosecutors are investigating alleged discrimination by Paris Saint-Germain years ago, following a complaint by France's Human Rights League that club scouts illegally profiled potential recruits based on their origins.

Prosecutors told The Associated Press the investigation was reopened in May. The case is related to events which happened several years ago and was the subject of an initial investigation that was ended in August 2022. The Human Rights League confirmed to the AP it filed the lawsuit.

The prosecutor's office said it received a new complaint “for discrimination on the grounds of origin, and computerised storage of data revealing racial or ethnic origins.”

French law prohibits the collection of personal data that shows the racial or ethnic origins of individuals.

PSG has previously acknowledged that forms with illegal content were used from 2013-18. But it declined responsibility for implementing the policy after the Mediapart news website reported that scouts were asked by PSG to mention the origin of possible recruits according to four categories: “Francais” (French), “Maghrebin” (North African), “Antillais” (West Indian), and “Afrique noire” (Black African).

The previous investigation was started following an initial complaint by the Human Rights League after PSG said an internal investigation found “no proven case of discrimination.”

The French Football Federation ethics council also looked into the matter and the league’s disciplinary commission later fined PSG 100,000 euros ($109,000).

The league also handed a 10,000-euro suspended fine to former PSG academy director Bertrand Reuzeau. Marc Westerloppe and Pierre Reynaud, who were in charge of PSG’s recruiting, received suspended fines of 5,000 euros.

Mediapart and French TV program “Envoyé Special” said a young black player was overlooked by PSG because of his color. Following an investigation based on the “Football Leaks” documents, Mediapart said 17-year-old midfielder Yann Gboho, who plays for France Under-18s, was disregarded by PSG when he was 13, and the club management decided to cover up “those implicated in the scandal.”

In a separate racism case in 2011, the country's soccer scene was rocked by revelations from Mediapart that then-national coach Laurent Blanc and others discussed informal quotas limiting black and Arab youth players’ involvement in the national squad.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/apf-soccer

FILE - General View of the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. The Parc des Princes stadium, with 48,000 seats, will be one of the venues of UEFA Euro 2016 soccer tournament which starts on June 10, 2016. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)

FILE - A soccer fan tries to watch the PSG soccer team training at the Paris Saint-Germain training camp in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, west of Paris, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)