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 neighbourhood of Argentina's capital, resulting in 鈥渆xtremely serious injuries.鈥 Medics confirmed his death on the spot, the statement said.
Pablo Policicchio, the spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, said in a statement to The Associated Press that Payne 鈥渉ad thrown himself from the balcony of his room.鈥 He said police were dispatched to the hotel in response to an emergency call about an 鈥渁ggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.鈥 Arriving police heard a thud and found Payne's body in the hotel courtyard, Policicchio said.
Police cordon off a hotel where English musician Liam Payne, a former member of the band One Direction, was found dead after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
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鈥檚 destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please.鈥 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, said on Argentina鈥檚 Todo Noticias TV channel that authorities were investigating the circumstances of his death and conducting an autopsy. He declined to answer further questions about the incident, including whether Payne jumped from the balcony or fell by accident.
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鈥檚 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.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think he was going to die so young,鈥 21-year-old Isabella Milesi told the AP.
One Direction, from left, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson arrive at the iHeart Radio Music Festival, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014, at The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. (Photo by Andrew Estey / Invision / AP)
Payne was one of five members of One Direction, which formed when they each auditioned for the British singing competition series 鈥淭he X Factor鈥 in 2010, two years after Payne's first attempt to get on the show. At 16 the second time around, Payne sang Michael Bubl茅鈥檚 version of 鈥淐ry Me a River,鈥 appearing nervous at the start but warming up with the audience鈥檚 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 鈥 even though they lost the competition.
Each member had their own persona, with Payne 鈥 who hailed from Wolverhampton, a city in the West Midlands region of England 鈥 being known as the responsible one. The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits like 鈥淲hat Makes You Beautiful,鈥 鈥淣ight Changes鈥 and 鈥淪tory of My Life.鈥
Payne had prominent solos on songs including 鈥淪tole My Heart鈥 and 鈥淐hange Your Ticket,鈥 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 鈥淒irectioners,鈥 many of whom were teen girls.
鈥淚鈥檝e always loved One Direction since I was little. To see that he died and that there will never be another reunion of the boys is unbelievable, it kills me,鈥 said 18-year-old Juana Relh, another fan outside Payne鈥檚 hotel.
With his meteoric rise to fame, Payne had said that it took some time to adjust to the public eye.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think you can ever deal with that, it鈥檚 all a bit crazy for us to see that people get in that sort of state of mind about us and what we do,鈥 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 鈥 like each of his erstwhile bandmates 鈥 pursued a solo career, shifting toward EDM and hip-hop. His 2017 single 鈥淪trip That Down,鈥 featuring Quavo, reached the Billboard Top 10, and stayed on the charts for several months. He put out an album 鈥淟P1鈥 in 2019, and his last release 鈥 a single called 鈥淭eardrops鈥 鈥 was released in March.
In this Monday, May 9, 2016 file photo, Cheryl Cole and Liam Payne pose during a photo call for the Global Gift Gala at Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)
Payne had a seven-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 鈥淴 Factor鈥 judge during One Direction's season. 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. AP journalists Natacha Pisarenko and Debora Rey contributed reporting from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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