Liam Payne Thanks Fans for Support Following Grandfather's Death; One Direction Announces "1D Day" Global Event

Boy-bander expresses his appreciation for all the heartfelt tweets

By Peter Gicas Oct 02, 2013 6:57 PMTags
Liam PayneKevin Kane/Getty Images

It may be a sad time for Liam Payne, but the One Direction star can at least take a little bit of comfort in knowing his fans are there for him.

As word began to spread that his grandfather had recently passed away, Directioners from around the globe began tweeting their condolences, subsequently making #RIPGrandpaPayne and #StayStrongLiam trending hashtags on Twitter.

"Thanks for everyone's support at this hard time obviously this has been a tough few weeks for me I've never been through anything like this," Payne tweeted on Wednesday. "And your support means the world so thanks guys night x."

Meanwhile, on a more upbeat note, it was announced on Wednesday that One Direction would be holding a worldwide event called "1D Day" on Nov. 23.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

According to a press release, "1D Day" will "give fans from every corner of the world a unique opportunity to enter into One Direction's lives through a seven-hour live broadcast with the band."

While further details will be announced soon, the event, which will be broadcast from Los Angeles, "will feature guest appearances, sketches with the band, fan-generated videos and live broadcasts from different countries."

The group's third studio album, Midnight Memories, is scheduled to be released Nov. 25.