The 31-year-old singer fell to his death under unclear circumstances from the third floor of a hotel in Argentina.
The global music scene was in shock early Thursday after the news of Liam Payne’s death, former One Direction member, who tragically lost his life after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.
So far, the conditions under which the 31-year-old singer fell remain unclear. However, according to testimonies published by international media, there were reports of strange behavior just hours before the tragic incident.
Odd Behavior in the Hotel
As reported by TMZ, Payne was “acting erratically” in the hotel lobby. The publication also mentions that the singer had broken his laptop and was eventually escorted to his room.
On the other hand, the New York Post, citing a source familiar with the former One Direction member, stated that Payne had been struggling with personal crises in the final years of his life. “Liam had been in cycles of self-destructive behavior for a long time,” the source told the American newspaper. “He openly talked about his problems but tried to downplay them. His demons were far worse than he let on.”
The Last Video
One hour before the news of his death became known, Payne had posted a video on social media from his trip to Buenos Aires with his girlfriend and influencer Kate Cassidy.
In the video, which was filmed days earlier (as Cassidy had left Argentina two days before the tragic incident), the 31-year-old singer can be heard saying, “A beautiful day in Argentina,” while his partner was enjoying their breakfast.
“This is a breakfast table. We’re just enjoying coffee and breakfast, even though it’s 1 p.m.,” Payne added.
Liam Payne Shares Final Social Media Post from Argentina
Payne’s last post on Snapchat was a photo of himself posing in front of a mirror with his girlfriend, both wearing swimsuits.
According to Argentina’s La Nación newspaper, before the incident, staff at the “Hotel Casa Sur” called the police to report “an aggressive man who may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
“We were informed about an individual who was in an internal courtyard at Casa Sur hotel. Emergency services arrived and confirmed the man’s death. We later learned he was a singer in a musical group. Unfortunately, he sustained fatal injuries from the fall, and we had to confirm his death. There was no possibility of resuscitation,” local authorities said in a statement.
Police Report
“Liam James Payne, songwriter and guitarist, former member of the band One Direction, died today after falling from the third floor of a hotel” in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, according to the police report.
The police were called to the Casa Sur hotel at 5:04 p.m. (local time, 11:04 p.m. Greek time). An ambulance arrived seven minutes later, but the paramedics only confirmed Payne’s death.
Images Outside the Hotel Where One Direction’s Liam Payne Fell to His Death in Argentina
According to Argentine media, Payne was in Buenos Aires to attend a concert by Niall Horan, his former bandmate from One Direction.
The 31-year-old singer was best known as a member of the famous British boy band One Direction. The band, which also included Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan, was originally formed in 2010 after each member appeared on the British version of the reality competition The X Factor.
One Direction announced their split in 2015. Payne later released his debut solo album LP1 in 2019. In March 2024, Payne released Teardrops.
The British singer shared a video on YouTube in 2023, where he revealed that he had been sober for six months after spending almost 100 days in a rehabilitation facility in Louisiana.
Payne became a father in 2017, having a son with former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole.
