Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, has died after a fall from his hotel balcony in Argentina on Wednesday evening. Authorities have not determined if Liam’s death was intentional or accidental; no further details have been shared as of press time, with authorities remaining on-site to investigate.
TMZ was the first to break the news of Payne’s death, reporting that several witnesses at the hotel where he was staying in Buenos Aires tell us Liam fell from his room on the 3rd floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel shortly after 5 PM in Buenos Aires. Witnesses also stated that Liam had been acting erratic in the hotel lobby earlier the same day, smashing his laptop, and was carried back to his room. Liam had been in Argentina recently for his fellow-One Direction bandmate Niall Horan’s concert on Oct. 2 at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires.
Payne made his debut in 2008 on the British series The X Factor. After his elimination he auditioned again for the show in 2010, and at just 16 years old he was recruited to be a member of the new boy band One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. The group went on to become a massive success before ultimately breaking-up in 2015. Payne went on to drop his debut EP First Time in August 2018, and his first solo studio album LP1 in 2019; just this past March he released his LP “Teardrops.”
Payne subsequently revealed in June 2021 that he struggled with alcohol and prescription drug addictions when One Direction was on tour, and he experienced suicidal thoughts during his addition.
Payne is survived by his son Bear Grey Payne, 7 (whom he shares with ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole) as well as his parents, Karen and Geoff; and two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
