Louis Tomlinson continues to navigate his grief a year after the passing of Liam Payne.

In an interview with the Independent released on Saturday, the former One Direction star shared how Payne’s death on October 16, 2024, has undeniably strengthened the bonds between him and fellow bandmates Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Niall Horan.

“The best friends are those with whom, when you finally reconnect, it feels as if no time has passed at all,” Tomlinson explained, acknowledging the challenges they face in aligning their busy schedules. “It’s truly uplifting to witness everyone thriving in their own pursuits.”

At 33, Tomlinson openly admitted he struggles to come to terms with Payne’s untimely death at just 31 years old.

“I naively assumed that, by now, I would, regrettably, be more familiar with grief than others my age,” he reflected, alluding to the loss of his mother, Joanna Deakins, in 2016 and his sister, Félicité, who passed away at 18 in 2019.

“I thought that might mean something, but it didn’t at all.”

Of Payne’s death, he told the Independent as his eyes teared up, “It’s something I’ll never really accept. I don’t think.”

Tomlinson and Malik, for their part, are reportedly reuniting for a Netflix documentary, during which they’ll hit the road and reflect on their time with the band — and their memories of Payne — according to the Sun.

Per the outlet’s Oct. 1 report, filming has already commenced, with a projected release date in 2026. The outlet also claimed the pair had struck a multimillion dollar deal for their participation in the reported project.

Tomlinson’s comments come two days after the first anniversary of Payne’s death. The singer perished after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina and suffering fatal injuries.

Following Payne’s death, the former boy band members issued a rare joint statement grieving the loss. “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” they told Page Six one day after the tragedy.

“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever,” they added. “For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you, Liam.” In his own statement via Instagram, Tomlinson wrote that he’d “Lost a brother.”

“Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul,” he wrote in part.

“I feel beyond lucky to have had you in my life but I’m really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye. I’m so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I’d have with you for life,” he continued.

“I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn’t to be.”