FORMER One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, died Wednesday after falling three floors off a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. Argentine officials are continuing to investigate his death.
Payne was a beloved member of the group, which was founded in 2010 after its members — Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik — auditioned for “The X-Factor” singing competition series as single performers and were grouped by judge Simon Cowell to establish the band. They were one of the most popular boy bands of all time, with a devoted fan base of “Directioners” and a stratospheric climb to prominence comparable to Beatlemania.
HERE’S WHAT WE DO KNOW—AND DON’T KNOW—ABOUT THE STAR’S UNEXPECTED DEATH
Minutes before Payne fell, police responded to the hotel staff’s 911 call. Hotel staff at the Casa Sur Hotel in Argentina’s capital’s chic Palermo neighborhood, where Payne was staying, called the police Wednesday evening with worries concerning a guest who they said was “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol.”
Police rushed to the hotel and arrived shortly after 5 p.m. Local time, and they later confirmed that they arrived barely minutes before the fall.
On a 911 call obtained by The Associated Press, the hotel manager could be heard claiming the guest was “destroying the entire room” and adding, “We need you to send someone, please.”
The manager’s voice became more frantic as the conversation progressed, mentioning the room’s balcony.
PROSECUTORS CALL PAYNE’S DEATH “SUSPICIOUS”—HERE’S WHY
Officials believed Payne’s fall injuries were sufficient to cause his death, but prosecutors called Payne’s case “suspicious,” considering the possibility that the singer had been drinking and using drugs.
The agency also verified that all evidence pointed to Payne being alone at the time of the event, and officials had requested a toxicology report.
It is unclear if Payne’s fall was purposeful or unintentional, but the public prosecutor stated that the lack of defensive injuries on his hands suggested that “he did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself and that he could have fallen into a state of semi- or total unconsciousness.”
POLICE: PAYNE’S HOTEL ROOM WAS DISCOVERED IN “COMPLETE DISARRAY”
Buenos Aires police stated they discovered Payne’s hotel room “in complete disarray,” with “various items broken” and packs of clonazepam, a central nervous system depressant, energy supplements, and other over-the-counter medicines strewn among his possessions.
According to forensics specialists, authorities collected a whiskey bottle, lighter, and smartphone from the internal courtyard where Payne’s body was discovered. According to Argentine police, evidence obtained at the scene indicated that Payne “was going through some kind of substance abuse episode.”
In the past few years, Payne has admitted to dealing with alcoholism, stating in a YouTube video posted in July 2023 that he had been sober for six months following therapy.
THE AUTHORITIES CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE PAYNE’S DEATH
While police and prosecutors await the toxicology report, they are continuing their investigation and attempting to recollect Payne’s dying moments.
Authorities claimed they obtained testimony from three hotel staff and two ladies who had visited Payne in his hotel room hours before his death. According to the prosecution, the two women had already departed the hotel when the event occurred.
PAYNE’S DEATH RAISES MEDIA ETHICS CONCERNS AS BOGUS CONTENT SPREADS
TMZ, a celebrity news website noted for its scoops and tabloid sensibilities, first published cropped photographs of Payne’s body after the accident that showed his identifying tattoos in their early reporting Wednesday. Following getting widespread criticism, the site removed the photos.
In the amended version of the post, the site claimed, “TMZ has seen a photo showing Liam’s body on the deck at the hotel with tables and chairs nearby” and went on to describe the tattoos and how the photograph helped to validate early allegations of Payne’s death.
Fans flocked to social media to voice their indignation at the outlet’s choice to post the photographs.
TMZ did not immediately respond to calls for comment.
The photographs are still spreading on social media, as is a video of a guy jumping from a burning building, which viewers are mistaking for Payne’s fall. Several additional films of people falling or jumping from balconies have circulated as well. X’s “community notes” function, which allows users to give context and, in this case, disprove erroneously reported content, appears on a few postings, but not all of them.
HERE IS HOW ONE DIRECTION RESPONDED TO PAYNE’S DEATH
The remaining members of One Direction—Horan, Tomlinson, Styles, and Malik—put out a statement Thursday claiming they are “completely devastated” by Payne’s death.
“When everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for the time being, we will grieve and absorb the loss of our beloved brother. “The memories we made with him will be treasured forever,” their statement said.
Malik, Tomlinson, and Styles all paid tribute to Payne on their Instagram profiles Thursday, writing about their close relationship with him. All three emphasized again that they are “devastated.”
Malik and Tomlinson addressed Payne directly in their speeches, each referring to him as their brother. Tomlinson stated that he wishes to “be the Uncle” to Payne’s 7-year-old son, Bear, and intends to “tell him stories of how amazing his dad was.”
Payne had his son, Bear Grey Payne, with his ex-girlfriend, musician Cheryl, in 2017. He is survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, as well as his two elder sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
