Liam Payne, a singer from the popular band One Direction, was found dead at a hotel in Argentina after he jumped from the balcony of his third-floor room Wednesday evening.
The 31-year-old former boy band star was staying at the Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires when police were called to the property for an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol” around 5 p.m.
Officers arrived at the hotel and requested an ambulance at 5:07 p.m. after finding Payne’s body in an interior hotel patio with “extremely serious injuries,” police told The Associated Press.
Pablo Policicchio, the communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, told The AP that Payne “jumped from the balcony of his room.”
Medics pronounced Payne dead the moment they arrived at his body, a few minutes after police found him.
The head of Argentina’s emergency medical system, Alberto Crescenti, told a local news channel the circumstances of Payne’s death are still under investigation and an autopsy will take place.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 12: Liam Payne is photographed at Wimbledon July 12, 2023 in London, England. The former One Direction star has died at the age of 31. (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for evian)Dave Benett/Getty Images for evi
Flocks of One Direction fans swarmed the outside of the hotel Wednesday night, forming makeshift memorials with candles and flowers and filming on their cellphones. Many shared their shock and emotion with news outlets in the area.
“I’ve always loved One Direction since I was little,” 18-year-old Juana Relh told the AP outside the hotel. “To see that he died and that there will never be another reunion of the boys is unbelievable, it kills me.”
In July 2023, Payne posted a YouTube video where he spoke about his ongoing issues with alcoholism and announced he had been sober for six months following treatment.
Payne joined One Direction in 2010 after he and the band’s other four members — Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson — individually performed on the British singing show “The X-Factor.”
When none of the singers could beat out the competition as solo acts on the show, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges came up with the idea to combine the group of young men into One Direction.
performs onstage during Z100’s Jingle Ball 2012, presented by Aeropostale, at Madison Square Garden on December 7, 2012 in New York City.Theo Wargo | Getty Images
Payne co-wrote several of the band’s hit songs and had solo vocals on “Stole My Heart” and “Change Your Ticket.” When the band split up in 2016, One Direction had amassed six Top 10 tracks on Billboard’s charts.
After breaking up One Direction, each member went on to pursue a solo career in music. Payne had a 2017 single — “Strip That Down,” featuring Quavo — stay on the Billboard Top 10 for several months. He also released his album “LP1″ in 2019, and a single called “Teardrops” this March.
Payne and his former girlfriend — Cheryl, known as Cheryl Cole while she performed with Girls Aloud — had a 7-year-old son named Bear Grey Payne. Payne was also engaged to Maya Henry from August 2020 to early 2022.
Payne is also survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
