Nicole Scherzinger pays tribute to Liam Payne after texting him on the day he died

• Nicole Scherzinger paid tribute to Liam Payne on Friday, October 25, following the star’s passing on Wednesday, October 16
• Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber revealed that Scherzinger texted Payne the day he died
• Payne died after falling from several floors at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Nicole Scherzinger honors Liam Payne after his death at the age of 31.

On Friday, October 25, the 46-year-old singer wrote an emotional tribute on Instagram to Payne, who died on Wednesday, October 16, after falling from a balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. According to ABC News, sources confirmed that a partial autopsy revealed that the star “had multiple substances in his system.”

Alongside Simon Cowell, Scherzinger is credited with the formation of Payne’s boy band One Direction in the 2010 season of The X factor.

“Dear Liam, I will forever cherish and cherish the time we shared together, from fifteen years ago when One Direction was born, to just a few weeks ago,” Scherzinger wrote alongside two photos of her, Payne and Kelly Rowland, 43. .

She added, “It was such a blessing to work with you recently. We shared the same love and passion for music and I will forever remember the meaningful and joyful conversations we had.”

“It has been so hard to process that you are gone, but I am grateful to have gotten to know your kind heart, sweet soul and character,” the former Pussycat Dolls star continued.

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“You brought so much joy, light and laughter into the lives of those who truly knew you,” she wrote before concluding: “I will ‘miss’ you, my friend, and carry you in my heart. My thoughts and prayers are with your family.

In August, it was announced that Scherzinger, Rowland and Payne would star alongside AJ McLean in the new Netflix series Building the bond.

It was reported that Scherzinger would serve as a mentor and judge, while Payne and Rowland would serve as judges.

Scherzinger’s tribute comes after composer Andrew Lloyd Webber revealed it in an interview with Billboard that the artist had texted Payne the day he died.

“I guess something that hasn’t been said yet, and I guess I could say, is that of course she mentored Liam (Payne) from One Direction,” Webber – who composed the music for Scherzinger’s Broadway musical Sunset Blvd. – said.

“On the Wednesday when he died, she was still texting him that day, and (that evening) the reviewers came in (to SUNSET), she had just heard he died,” he added. “And the fact that she did the show at all is extraordinary.”

The musician continued, “I mean, she’s an amazing, amazing woman. She is without a doubt one of the best artists I have ever worked with.”

PEOPLE has reached out to Scherzinger’s reps for comment.