One Direction: Where Are They Now?

One Direction took off after appearing on 'The X Factor'

One Direction where are they now
One Direction. Photo: JAB Promotions/WireImage; FOX Image Collection via Getty

One Direction fans are mourning the loss of one of the former boy band's members.

On Oct. 16, 2024, Liam Payne died at 31 after falling from a hotel balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The incident took place nearly 15 years after the group was introduced to the world on The X Factor in 2010. Made up of British singers Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Irish singer Niall Horan, viewers quickly showed their support to the then-teenagers.

Though they didn't win the show that season, the group stuck together and shot to stardom, and One Direction would go on to release five albums and perform for fans on four world tours. Following Malik's departure from the group in 2015, the remaining members disbanded in 2016, each going on to pursue solo music careers of their own.

More than a decade after the pop group released their first single, "What Makes You Beautiful," in 2011, here is what each member of One Direction is doing today.

01 of 05

Liam Payne

One Direction where are they now
Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage; Mike Marsland/WireImage

After One Direction's split, Liam Payne released his first solo EP, First Time, in 2018, followed by his debut studio album, LP1, the following year.

Payne and English singer and X Factor judge Cheryl Fernandez-Versini — formerly of the girl group Girls Aloud — began dating in late 2015. They welcomed son Bear in 2017. By the following summer, Payne and Cheryl announced their split on social media after more than two years together.

Shortly after, the "Strip That Down" singer was romantically linked to model Maya Henry and they got engaged, his rep confirmed to PEOPLE in August 2020 after she was spotted in London wearing a diamond ring.

However, Payne revealed in June 2021 that he and Henry called off their engagement. While the couple rekindled their relationship and got engaged a second time, they ultimately split again in May 2022.

After rumors swirled of a romance between Payne and influencer Kate Cassidy in November 2022, the pair made their red carpet debut as a couple at the British Fashion Awards in December of that year. In February 2023, Payne and Cassidy were spotted together at Netflix's BAFTAs afterparty in London.

Payne was open about his struggles after One Direction, sharing that he struggled with his mental health and substance abuse following the band's breakup.

It’s difficult when you have the level of fame that we had in the band,” he told Men’s Health Australia in 2019. “There have been a lot of people in trouble with mental health that aren’t really getting the help that they need, and I think that’s a bit of a problem in our industry."

On Oct. 16, 2024, Payne died at age 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Payne had been in the country since early October, when he attended the concert of his former bandmate Horan.

An investigation is currently underway to determine what happened that led to Payne's death.

02 of 05

Harry Styles

One Direction where are they now
Gareth Cattermole/Getty; Dia Dipasupil/Getty

Following the band's breakup, Harry Styles released his self-titled debut album in 2017.

A few years later, he returned with his second album, Fine Line, spawning the song of summer, "Watermelon Sugar," in 2020 and earning him his first Grammy Award in 2021.

He released his third album, Harry's House, in 2022, winning two Grammys in 2023, including album of the year. Styles boasts seven top 10 hits in the U.K., counting his two No. 1 hit singles: "Sign of the Times" (2017) and "As It Was" (2022).

The singer-songwriter made his film debut in 2017's Dunkirk and joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a surprise cameo in 2021's Eternals. He also starred in 2022's My Policeman and is renowned for his fashion choices, becoming the first man to land a solo cover of Vogue.

Styles initially kept details of his love life private, though he had a brief relationship with Taylor Swift from 2012 to 2013. He and Kendall Jenner also made headlines with their long-rumored, on-and-off romance. In 2021, he began a high-profile relationship with actress and filmmaker Olivia Wilde, with whom he costarred in her sophomore directorial effort Don't Worry Darling in 2022.

Wilde and Styles split in November 2022 after two years together, but a source told PEOPLE in February 2023 the exes have remained "good friends."

03 of 05

Zayn Malik

One Direction where are they now
Mike Marsland/WireImage; John Shearer/Getty

As the first member to leave the band in 2015, Zayn Malik set out to "be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight."

He's since released three solo albums: 2016's Mind of Mine, 2018's Icarus Falls and 2021's Nobody Is Listening. He had a No. 1 hit in 2016 in the U.S. and the U.K. with his single "Pillowtalk."

Malik was previously engaged to Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards before breaking things off in 2015. That same year, Malik began an on-and-off relationship with model Gigi Hadid.

Though the two welcomed daughter Khai in September 2020, the couple seemingly split for good after Malik was accused of "striking" Hadid's mom, Yolanda Hadid, in October 2021. Malik later pleaded no contest to the charges and received 360 days of probation.

Malik and Hadid continue to co-parent their daughter.

04 of 05

Louis Tomlinson

One Direction where are they now
Gareth Cattermole/Getty; Zach Pagano/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

Louis Tomlinson, the oldest member of the boy band, was also the first to become a father, welcoming his first child, son Freddie Reign, in January 2016 with ex Briana Jungwirth.

In 2017, he released two singles, "Back to You" and "Just Like You," before returning to The X Factor UK as a judge on season 15. In 2020, Tomlinson released his debut solo album, Walls, and his sophomore album, Faith in the Future, was released in 2022.

Since the band split, the singer has faced several family tragedies, including losing his mother to cancer in December 2016 and his 18-year-old sister Félicité dying after a suspected cardiac arrest in March 2019.

05 of 05

Niall Horan

One Direction where are they now
Getty; Gareth Cattermole/Getty

Irish singer Niall Horan has enjoyed a successful solo career, starting with his album Flicker and his single "Slow Hands" in 2017. Three years later, he released his sophomore album, Heartbreak Weather, with the lead single "Nice to Meet Ya."

Horan's third album, The Show, was released in 2023, the same year he joined The Voice as a judge and coach on season 23.

On the romance front, he and actress-singer Hailee Steinfeld were romantically linked in February 2018, but PEOPLE confirmed the couple's breakup in December of that year.

Horan otherwise has had quite the dating history and has been in a relationship with Amelia Woolley since 2020.

Related Articles