Nicola Payne wrote on Instagram: “When I saw the news pop up on my phone that you had left us I went cold, I wanted so much for this to be untrue.
“I have spent days hoping that it was a mistake and somebody has got it wrong.
“You were truly too good for this earth, you are an angel who just lived for making people smile and happy.
“You have always shown kindness to everyone you met and it shows with just how many people have confirmed what we always knew!”
“I hope you have finally found peace up there and that you’ll continue to look after us all as you have done in life. We will make sure Bear knows about his daddy and how much you loved him, we promise this,” she added.
Payne, 31, died as a result of multiple injuries after falling from his third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last Wednesday.
It came as Payne’s former girlfriend Danielle Peazer said will “cherish forever” a message the singer sent to her weeks before his death.
Peazer, who dated Payne between 2010 and 2013, posted a tribute to the former One Direction star on Instagram, along with two photos of the pair together.
She wrote: “Receiving a message from you a couple of weeks ago expressing your happiness for the love I found with Sonny and Mia is something I’ll cherish forever.”
The message relates to Peazer’s husband, DJ Sunny Jay, and their daughter Mia.
She also thanked the singer for “teaching me about the importance of setting boundaries, and that I should always protect my heart”.
Peazer, who met Payne on The X Factor when she was a background dancer, also wrote: “Despite being aware of your struggles over the years, I hoped and prayed this day would never come.”
The 36-year-old added: “At times, you were my favourite person in the whole world, but you could also wind me up so much, and I probably annoyed the hell out of you sometimes too.
“It was something we learned to accept of each other over 14 years, we could disagree on so many things yet still look out for each other in times of need and laugh about our disagreements and petty behaviour 10 mins later.”
Peazer, who now works as a model, said: “I’m sorry your story didn’t end differently, and I’m sorry you didn’t ever get to share more of your magic with the world.”
