In a statement released on Sunday morning, the family said that persistent "attention and speculation" in the press had exacerbated their suffering, and that of Payne's young son, Bear, in particular.

Liam Payne's family issued a statement Sunday morning, criticising the media coverage of the singer's death, saying it had caused them "indescribable, lasting damage." Hours after the former One Direction star was honored at the annual music Brit Awards in London,

"Liam's death was an unspeakable tragedy," his family wrote in a joint statement released on 2 March and reported by the BBC. “This is a time of tremendous grief and pain for those who knew and loved him.