J Balvin remembers 'best friend' Liam Payne after his death

J Balvin is remembering his "best friend" Liam Payne following his death at the age of 31.

In an interview with Extra, the 39-year-old actor paid heartfelt tribute to the late singer, revealing that he has been hit "really hard" by the news of Payne's death.

"He's a great friend, because to me, he's always going to be, you know, in spirit. He's a great friend. He was always nice, humble, always smiling,” Balvin told the outlet.

The 6 AM hitmaker further said, "I was checking a couple of pictures from, like, three years ago, we were performing in Mexico. So, it really hit me really hard because I'm an advocate of mental health, and seeing how he went to this dark moment, dark time.”

“It's just really sad, but it's good to create the awareness around the world to, you know, take care of your mind,” he added.

For those unversed, Payne was found dead outside a hotel in Argentina on October 16.