Nicole Scherzinger said she was ‘heartbroken’ over Liam Payne‘s shock death in her first interview since he passed last week.
The 46-year-old performer appeared on Good Morning America in New York City on Friday morning to chat up her role as Norma Desmond in the musical Sunset Boulevard and her part in Moana 2.
It is also the first time she has been seen since revealing on social media that she was texting the One Direction singer on the day he died.
Nicole has a long history with Liam as she helped hire him for One Direction and she was also working on a new show called Building The Band with him.
The former Pussycat Doll wore a form-fitting sleeveless chocolate brown dress, pointy brown high heels and gold-rimmed sunglasses with her dark hair worn down.
Nicole Scherzinger said she was ‘heartbroken’ over Liam Payne’s shock death in her first interview since he passed
The singer appeared on Good Morning American in NYC on Friday
Nicole has a long history with Liam as she helped hire him for One Direction. She is seen in 2017 with Liam and Simon Cowell
While on GMA, she spoke about Liam.
‘Liam and I were quite close,’ Scherzinger said on the program.
‘And so, yeah, I’m heartbroken. I’m heartbroken for Liam. I’m heartbroken for his family and his loved ones and his fans,’ she continued.
‘Liam always led with his heart and with kindness, and I really hope that’s how he’ll always be remembered.’
She was integral in putting One Direction together when she appeared as a judge on the X Factor in 2010.
In her Instagram note, Nicole said she will ‘forever cherish and treasure’ the time they had together.
Liam, 31, died last week after falling 45ft from the third floor into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, leaving fans of the band from all around the world distraught.
‘Liam and I were quite close,’ Scherzinger said Friday. ‘And so, yeah, I’m heartbroken. I’m heartbroken for Liam. I’m heartbroken for his family and his loved ones and his fans,’ she continued
The star added, ‘Liam always led with his heart and with kindness, and I really hope that’s how he’ll always be remembered’
The singer, 46, sat down with Good Morning America to chat up her role as Norma Desmond in the musical Sunset Boulevard
The former Pussycat Doll wore a form-fitting sleeveless chocolate brown dress, pointy brown high heels and gold-rimmed sunglasses with her dark hair worn down
And taking to Instagram with a beaming picture of herself, Liam and Kelly Rowland, Nicole penned: ‘Dear Liam, I will forever cherish and treasure the time we shared together, from fifteen years ago when One Direction was born, right up until just a few weeks ago.’
The three had wrapped filming for new Netflix show Building The Band just two months before his tragic death in Argentina.
She continued in her post: ‘It was such a blessing to get 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’s been so hard to process that you’re no longer here, but I am grateful to have known your kind heart, sweet soul and character.
‘You brought so much joy, light, and laughter to the lives of those that truly knew you. I will ‘miss you’ my friend and carry you in my heart. My thoughts and prayers are with your family.’
Meanwhile Nicole has been praised by theatre guru Andrew Lloyd Webber for retaining her composure and still making it on stage for the press night of Sunset Blvd on New York’s Broadway just hours after she heard Liam had fatally fallen from his hotel balcony.