Liam Payne and Justin Bieber had a rocky relationship, with the pair often being compared to one another. But they managed to smooth things over during an emotional chat

In a surprising twist of fate, pop sensations Justin Bieber and Liam Payne, once pitted against each other, found common ground. After Liam openly discussed their likenesses, the two had a heart-to-heart that squashed their rivalry and led to a genuine friendship.

Tragically, following the unexpected death of the former One Direction star last week, Justin offered a poignant homage. At 31, Liam met his untimely end after a fall from the third-floor balcony of CasaSur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday night.

The music world, including Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, and Niall Horan, as well as countless grieving fans, have since shared their heartfelt condolences. On Instagram Stories, Justin posted “rest easy Liam” alongside a moving video montage honoring the global fan tributes, which included flowers, balloons, and heartfelt messages.

An AI voiceover in the clip solemnly reminded viewers: “Just remember, you are allowed to grieve as a fan. You are allowed to love someone you’ve never met. You are allowed to admire someone for their art.”

Reflecting on his early career, Liam had recounted on Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast how he was once told he “could be as big as Bieber one day” during his X Factor audition, reports the Mirror.

The star disclosed that one tipsy night on Instagram, someone brought up Justin, and he quipped, “the only thing between me and him is I haven’t been arrested”—a nod to

Bieber’s drink-driving arrest. Liam, who’d occasionally encounter Bieber at events, admitted it wasn’t meant as a dig but acknowledged it “started some beef.”

Justin Bieber pays somber tribute to Liam Payne after One Direction star’s death at 31
He empathized with Bieber, saying, “I’ve always felt for you.” He elaborated: “Number one, I’ve done all the things that you’ve done and I’ve never been caught for any of them… number two, I’ve always really felt for you, mate, and I think in our situation we all suffer from the same disease.”

He also recognized his own bandmates’ support, contrasting it with Justin’s solo career and added, “I know in your camp you’re you and there’s no one like you, so you can’t turn around and have that shoulder.”

Justin was clearly moved by Liam’s sentiment and reportedly said the message gave him “chills.” Following this exchange, fans expressed their feelings online; one commented on the original video: “Justin reposted, thank you for validating my grief over liam and please take care of yourself justin, i love you.”

“Beliebers are joining Directioners in their grief,” remarked one fan, and another chimed in noting, “Justin Bieber is a real one for showing his empathy.”