BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, whose hit British band generated a huge fan following around the world, 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 the Argentine capital, causing “extremely serious injuries.” Doctors confirmed his death at the scene, the statement said.
Police told The Associated Press that Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room.” Police responded to an emergency call at the hotel shortly after 5 p.m. local time, warning of an “aggressive male who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” the statement added.
In a 911 call obtained by AP, the hotel manager can be heard saying they had “a guest who is overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol … He’s destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send somebody over, please.” The manager’s voice grew more anxious as the call progressed, and he noted that the room had a balcony.
Alberto Crescenti, head of the state’s emergency medical system, told Argentine television channel Todo Noticias that authorities were investigating the circumstances of her death and conducting an autopsy.
Payne had been open about his struggles with alcoholism, posting a video on his YouTube channel in July 2023 saying he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment. Payne’s representatives did not immediately respond to emails and calls.
Scores of One Direction fans flocked to the Casa Sur Hotel from across Buenos Aires after the news broke, forming lines that stretched to the cordoned-off street in front of the hotel, where police were on duty. Forensic investigators were seen leaving the hotel, from where Payne’s body was removed about three hours after the fall. Young women filming on their cellphones expressed shock and grief as a makeshift memorial with rows of candles and bouquets of flowers quickly grew outside the hotel.
“I didn’t think I was going to die so young,” Isabella Milesi, 21, told the AP.
Payne was one of five members of One Direction, which formed when each of them auditioned for the British singing competition series “The X Factor” in 2010, two years after Payne’s first attempt at getting on the show. At age 16, for the second time, Payne sang Michael Bublé’s cover of “Cry Me a River,” appearing nervous at first but warming up to the cheers and applause of the audience.
After all of the singers failed to make it through the competition as solo artists, 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 ever, even though they lost the competition.
Each member had his or her own personality, and Payne, who hailed from Wolverhampton, a city in England’s West Midlands region, was known as the one responsible. The band became known for its pop sound and romantic hits like “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life.” Payne had featured solos on songs like “Stole My Heart” and “Change Your Ticket,” and co-wrote several of the band’s hits. They had six Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts when they disbanded in 2016 and a fiercely loyal fan base, known as the “Directioners,” many of whom were teenage girls.
“I’ve always loved One Direction, ever since I was little,” said Juana Relh, 18, 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 her meteoric rise to fame, Payne said it took her some time to adjust to the public spotlight.
“I don’t think we can ever deal with that, it’s kind of crazy for us to see people get into that kind of mindset about us and what we do,” he said in a 2013 interview with the AP after recounting an experience in which a fan was shocked to meet him.
Following the group’s disbandment, Payne, like each of his former bandmates, pursued a solo career, turning toward electronic dance music and hip-hop. His 2017 single, “Strip That Down,” featuring Quavo, reached the Billboard Top 10 and stayed on the charts for several months. In 2019, he released an album, “LP1,” and his latest release, a single called “Teardrops,” was released in March.
Payne has a 7-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, with his ex-girlfriend, musician Cheryl, known as Cheryl Cole when she performed with Girls Aloud. She was a judge on “X Factor” during One Direction’s season, though their relationship began years later. Payne was previously engaged to Maya Henry, from August 2020 to early 2022. Henry published a novel earlier this year that she said was based on their relationship.
In addition to her son, she is survived by her parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and her two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
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Huamani reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Natacha Pisarenko and Débora Rey contributed reporting from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
