Taylor Swift has fans in meltdown as a never-before-seen handwritten note she sent to the late Liam Payne in 2017 has surfaced — and is now heading to auction.
The note, revealed Wednesday by Omega Auctions on X, was sent to Payne ahead of their performances at the Capital FM Jingle Bell Ball at London’s O2 Arena.
Written on Swift’s personalized card stock and sealed with her iconic TS wax stamp, the message was addressed simply to ‘Liam’ and cheered him on during his early solo career after One Direction’s hiatus.
‘Liam, Long time no see! I’m so excited for you, you’re crushing it out there,’ Swift scribbled.
She added, referencing Payne’s October 2017 single, ‘I’m obsessed with “Bedroom Floor.” It’s so cool to see you from afar, I’m always cheering you on. Good luck tonight!’
The note, valued at around $6,500 to $13,000, was later gifted by Payne to a ‘close associate,’ according to the auction listing.
Taylor Swift has fans in meltdown as a never-before-seen handwritten note she sent to the late Liam Payne in 2017 has surfaced — and is now heading to auction; (pictured February 2025)
The note, revealed Wednesday by Omega Auctions on X, was sent to Payne ahead of their performances at the Capital FM Jingle Bell Ball at London’s O2 Arena; (pictured 2022)
Written on Swift’s personalized card stock and sealed with her iconic TS wax stamp, the message was addressed simply to ‘Liam’ and cheered him on during his early solo career after One Direction ‘s hiatus
Images of the rare note spread like wildfire, immediately igniting chatter across social media.
One fan lamented, ‘And now I’m going to cry myself to sleep, thank you.’
Another wrote, ‘I had no idea they ever interacted. Just goes to show we never really know what’s happening behind the scenes.’
‘Well this just shattered my heart into a million pieces,’ someone else added.
Swift’s handwritten message offers a rare glimpse into her private support for Payne, whose solo career kicked off after One Direction went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.
Payne released Bedroom Floor in October 2017, following his debut solo single Strip That Down in May and Get Low in July of the same year.
The band’s indefinite break began in January 2016, following the release of their fifth studio album, and came after Zayn Malik left the band in March 2015.
Swift and Payne never spoke publicly about their friendship, but she clearly moved in One Direction circles.
The note was later gifted by Payne to a ‘close associate,’ according to the auction listing
Swift’s handwritten message offers a rare glimpse into her private support for Payne, whose solo career kicked off after One Direction went on indefinite hiatus in 2016; (Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne in 2012)
Swift famously dated Harry Styles, with their romance lasting from March 2012 to January 2013; (pictured 2012)
She famously dated Harry Styles, with their romance lasting from March 2012 to January 2013.
Swift was also spotted hanging out with Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards afterparty.
She later collaborated with Malik on 2016’s hit I Don’t Wanna Live Forever.
Despite the public spotlight on her connections to the band, her friendship with Payne remained private.
The auction comes just ahead of the first anniversary of Payne’s tragic death in October 2024, after he fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
An autopsy revealed he died of polytrauma, with traces of alcohol, cocaine, and prescription antidepressants found in his system.
Last week Tomlinson confirmed that Payne’s death has ‘completely put a pin in’ a potential One Direction reunion as he revealed he doesn’t believe it ‘would be right’.
However, It is believed Liam’s death brought the band close again.
Despite the public spotlight on her connections to the band, Swift’s friendship with Payne remained private; (pictured 2010)
Earlier this month it was revealed Tomlinson and Malik have reunited for a new Netflix multi-million pound deal.
Sources close to the production have revealed the pair are likely to discuss the tragic death of Payne.
The duo have become close again, and earlier this year Malik gave a shoutout to Tomlinson after he attended his Los Angeles concert at the Shrine Exposition Hall.
Tomlinson is the only band member to have publicly reflected on Liam’s death.
Speaking to Rolling Stone UK, he admitted he still feels ‘frustrated that Liam’s not with us anymore’ as he recalled the shock of his friend’s passing.
He continued: ‘It was really, really, impossibly difficult for me to deal with losing Liam. Naively, I thought that because at this point, I’m relatively well versed in grief for my age, that it might soften the blow.
‘[That was] super-naive. It’s very different. I’ve never lost a friend before.’
Tomlinson also opened up about how the band’s 15th anniversary earlier this year was especially tough, being the first one celebrated without Liam.
It’s thought that following Liam’s death last year, Zayn has been ‘in contact’ with the rest of the group, and he’s now again named as a business director on their company PPM Music Limited
He said: ‘It was really uncomfortable, actually, the 15th anniversary, because the [collective] feeling to celebrate is as important, if not more important than ever, on behalf of Liam.
‘There’s still a level in my head [where it feels] unjust and frustrating that he’s not with us anymore. So, it just brought up those feelings, although I’m still living with them anyway.’
On Tuesday, it was reported that Malik has been ‘in contact’ with the rest of the group, and he’s once again named as a business director on their company, PPM Music Limited.
Malik, who is set to kick off his first-ever Las Vegas residency in January, had his role terminated on June 20, 2016.
New documents listed on Companies House now show he’s back in the firm, alongside Styles, Tomlinson, and Horan.
Zayn’s relationship with his former bandmates had become strained after he quit the group in March 2015.
In the years that followed, he admitted the members had grown ‘sick of each other’ and he hadn’t stayed in touch much since leaving.
One Direction rose to superstardom after appearing on The X Factor in 2010, going on to sell a staggering 70 million records worldwide.
The band racked up nearly 200 awards, including seven Brit Awards, four MTV Music Awards, six Billboard Music Awards, seven American Music Awards, and 28 Kids’ Choice Awards.
