BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, whose chart-topping British boy band generated a global following of swooning fans, was found dead Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, local officials said.
Buenos Aires police said in a statement that Payne fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of Argentina’s capital, resulting in “extremely serious injuries.” Medics confirmed his death on the spot, the statement said.
The police statement to The Associated Press said Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room.” Police rushed to the hotel in response to an emergency call just after 5 p.m. local time warning of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” the statement added.
The hotel manager can be heard on a 911 call obtained by the AP saying they had “a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol … He’s destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please.” The manager’s voice became more anxious as the call went on, noting the room had a balcony.
Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, told Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel that authorities were investigating the circumstances of his death and conducting an autopsy.
Payne had been vocal about struggling with alcoholism, posting a video in July 2023 to his YouTube channel where he said he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment. Representatives for Payne did not immediately return emails and calls.
Dozens of One Direction fans flocked from across Buenos Aires to the Casa Sur Hotel after the news broke, forming lines that spilled into the cordoned-off street outside the hotel where police stood sentinel. Forensic investigators were seen exiting the hotel, from where Payne’s body was removed around three hours after the fall. Young women filming with their cellphones expressed shock and heartbreak as a makeshift memorial with rows of candles and bouquets quickly grew outside the hotel.
“I didn’t think he was going to die so young,” 21-year-old Isabella Milesi told the AP.
Payne was one of five members of One Direction, which formed when they each auditioned for the British singing competition series “The X Factor” in 2010, two years after Payne’s first attempt to get on the show. At 16 the second time around, Payne sang Michael Bublé’s version of “Cry Me a River,” appearing nervous at the start but warming up with the audience’s cheers and applause.
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.
Each member had their own persona, with Payne — who hailed from Wolverhampton, a city in the West Midlands region of England — being known as the responsible one. The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits like “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life.” Payne had prominent solos on songs including “Stole My Heart” and “Change Your Ticket,” co-writing several of the band’s hits. They had six Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts by the time they disbanded in 2016 and a highly loyal fan base, known as “Directioners,” many of whom were teen girls.
“I’ve always loved One Direction since I was little,” said 18-year-old Juana Relh, another fan outside Payne’s hotel. “To see that he died and that there will never be another reunion of the boys is unbelievable, it kills me.”
With his meteoric rise to fame, Payne had said that it took some time to adjust to the public eye.
“I don’t think you can ever deal with that, it’s all a bit crazy for us to see that people get in that sort of state of mind about us and what we do,” he said in a 2013 interview with the AP after recounting an experience where a fan was in a state of shock upon meeting him.
After the group’s dissolution, Payne — like each of his erstwhile bandmates — pursued a solo career, shifting toward 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 7-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, with his former girlfriend, the musician Cheryl who was known as Cheryl Cole when she performed with Girls Aloud. She was an “X Factor” judge during One Direction’s season, although their relationship began years later. Payne was previously engaged to Maya Henry, from August 2020 to early 2022. Henry released a novel earlier this year that she said was based on their relationship.
In addition to his son, he is survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
___
Huamani reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press journalists Natacha Pisarenko and Debora Rey contributed reporting from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
News
SH0CKINGS: Michael Jacksoп Crashed a P. Diddy PARTY So He Coυld ‘Holla at Beyoпcé’
Iп a sυrprisiпg aпd eпtertaiпiпg revelatioп from the past, it has come to light that Michael Jacksoп oпce crashed a party throwп by P. Diddy with the…
Taylor Swift’s PR Team Scrambles to Erase All Traces of Her with P. Diddy from the Iпterпet!
Receпt reports iпdicate that Taylor Swift’s PR team is actively workiпg to erase all traces of her past iпteractioпs with P. Diddy from the iпterпet. This comes…
VIDEO: ZYN Oddly Slams Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield After He Used Their Product In Front Of Millions On ‘Monday Night Football’
Baker Mayfield (via X) Baker Mayfield is one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks right now, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reflect his success over the past two seasons after…
Kansas City Chiefs Just Got Even Scarier Following Massive Updates On Hollywood Brown, Rashee Rice & Isiah Pacheco Just Hours After They Pulled Off The DeAndre Hopkins Trade
Kansas City Chiefs players (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) The Kansas City Chiefs are undefeated, but it has not come easy for them. First, Marquise Brown was lost for…
REPORT: Surprise NFL Head Coach Will Be Fired “Within The Next 48 Hours”
NFL logo (Photo by Alex Burstow/Getty Images) New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo is reportedly about to receive his pink slip following the team’s ugly loss to the Jacksonville…
NFC Team Puts The Entire NFL On Notice By Acquiring Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young In Blockbuster Trade Proposal
Bryce Young (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is one of the top names to follow on the trade market between now and the Nov. 5 trade…
End of content
No more pages to load