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Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, was found dead after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, local officials said.
Buenos Aires police said in a statement that Payne fell from the third floor of CasaSur Hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood of Argentina's capital, resulting in “extremely serious injuries”. Medics confirmed his death at the scene, the statement said.
Pablo Policicchio, spokesman for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, said in a statement that Payne fell “from the balcony of his room”. Policicchio said police were sent to the hotel in response to an emergency call about an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”. Police found Payne's body in the hotel courtyard, he said.
Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, said on Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel that authorities were investigating the circumstances of Payne's death and conducting a post-mortem examination.
Payne had spoken about struggling with alcoholism, posting a video in July 2023 to his YouTube channel in which he said he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment.
One Direction fans flocked from across Buenos Aires to CasaSur Hotel after the news broke, expressing shock and heartbreak, and forming lines that spilt into the street as police stood guard outside.
Payne was one of five members of One Direction, which was formed in 2010 when they individually auditioned for the British singing competition series The X Factor. After each singer failed to make it through the competition as solo acts, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges combined Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson into what would become one of the most successful boy bands – even though they lost the competition.
The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits such as What Makes You Beautiful, Night Changes and Story of My Life. They had six top 10 hits on the Billboard charts by the time they disbanded in 2016. They had a loyal fan base, many of whom were teenaged girls, who became known as “Directioners”.
After the group's dissolution, Payne – like his former bandmates – pursued a solo career, shifting towards EDM and hip-hop. His 2017 single Strip That Down, featuring Quavo, reached the Billboard top 10, and stayed on the charts for several months. He put out an album LP1 in 2019, and his last release – a single called Teardrops – was released in March.
Payne had a seven-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, with his former girlfriend, the singer Cheryl, who was known as Cheryl Cole when she performed with Girls Aloud. She was an X Factor judge during One Direction's season.
Payne was previously engaged to Maya Henry, although they split in 2022. Henry released a novel this year that she said was based on their relationship.
He is also survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
Tributes pour in
Stars around the world posted tributes to Payne in the hours after his death. "I am in shock right now," singer Charlie Puth said on his Instagram story. "Liam was always so kind to me."
"He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I cannot believe he is gone … I'm so upset right now, may he rest in peace."
Paris Hilton also posted a tribute on X. She wrote that it was "so upsetting to hear the news of @LiamPayne passing". She added: "Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. RIP my friend."
“Just talked to you 2 days ago my guy. Ima miss u frfr,” rapper Ty Dolla Sign wrote on his Instagram story, sharing a video of Payne.
Anne Twist, mother of Payne's One Direction bandmate Styles, took to Instagram where she shared a screenshot of a heartbreak emoji and captioned the image with "Just a boy".
British-Irish television presenter Dermot O'Leary, who hosted The X Factor, said Payne was “always a joy”.
“The worst news. I remember him as a 14-year-old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing,” O'Leary wrote on Instagram. "He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble. Sending love and prayers to his family.”
Singer Olly Murs, who was an X Factor contestant in 2009, wrote: “This news is devastating, am lost for words. We always had a good laugh when we saw each other, sometimes the catch-ups were only short and sweet but when we did it was mostly about how annoyingly good his hair always looked, or our love for Becks, the old XF days and the tour we shared together.
"Liam shared the same passions as me, the same dreams, so to see his life now end so young hits hard, I’m truly gutted and devastated for his family and of course his son Bear losing a dad. I am thinking of them.”
