Liam Payne, a founding member of One Direction, has died at age 31 after falling from the third floor of a hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to state police.
Buenos Aires police told the Press that Payne’s fall resulted in “extremely serious injuries,” and that medics confirmed his death at the scene. An autopsy performed in Buenos Aires found he died of trauma and internal and external bleeding.
Pablo Policicchio, communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, told the media that Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room.” Police had responded to an emergency call shortly after 5 p.m. local time warning of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
The AP also reported that the hotel manager could be heard on the 911 call describing a guest who was “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol” and “destroying the entire room.” Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office No. 14 said Thursday that, as a matter of protocol, the circumstances of Payne’s death will be investigated as a “doubtful death.”
Payne had traveled to Argentina to support former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert at Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires on October 2, where fan videos showed him cheering Horan on and interacting with the crowd.
Born August 29, 1993, in Wolverhampton, England, Payne first auditioned for British television in 2008 but was eliminated.
He returned two years later to audition for the fifth season of “The X Factor,” delivering a performance of Michael Bublé’s “Cry Me a River” that led to his placement, alongside Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik, in the group that would become One Direction, under the mentorship of judge Simon Cowell.
The five placed third on the show and were signed to Cowell’s Syco Entertainment, launching One Direction into one of the best-selling boy bands in history.
Between 2010 and 2016, the group sold more than 70 million records worldwide on the strength of hits including “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes,” “Story of My Life,” and “Steal My Girl.” The band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016, a year after Malik’s departure.
Payne signed to Capitol Records U.K. as a solo artist and released his debut single, “Strip That Down” featuring Quavo, in 2017. The song peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. He went on to collaborate with artists including Zedd, J Balvin, and Rita Ora, and by 2018 his music had been streamed more than two billion times. He released his debut EP, “First Time,” in August 2018, followed by his debut solo album, “LP1,” in 2019. His most recent single, “Teardrops,” was released earlier this year.
Payne shared a son, Bear Grey Payne, born in 2017, with his ex-girlfriend and former “X Factor” judge Cheryl Cole. He was dating influencer Kate Cassidy at the time of his death.
In recent years, Payne had been open about both personal struggles and his recovery. In 2022, he faced criticism after comments on Logan Paul’s “Impaulsive” podcast in which he said he would always “dislike” former bandmate Malik and claimed to be the most successful solo artist outside the group, remarks he later apologized for, attributing them to frustration over his career.
His ex, Maya Henry, also accused him of harassment following their 2022 breakup. Last year, Payne shared in a YouTube video that he had reached six months of sobriety as of July 2023, following 100 days in a rehabilitation facility, motivated in part by wanting to be a better father to his son. “I just needed to take a little bit of time out for myself actually because I kind of became somebody who I didn’t really recognize anymore,” he said at the time. “I just kind of feel like I’ve got more of a grip on life now.”
Payne is survived by his son, his parents Karen and Geoff, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
Tributes poured in from across the music industry following news of his death. The Backstreet Boys wrote on X that “words cannot express the emotions we are collectively feeling right now,” extending condolences to Payne’s family, friends, and fans. “The X Factor’s” official account called him “immensely talented,” while former host Dermot O’Leary recalled him as a 14-year-old who “blew us away singing Sinatra,” describing him as humble and always grateful.
Former “X Factor” judge Sharon Osbourne directed her tribute at the music industry itself. “Where was this industry when you needed them? You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner?” she wrote.
Singer Charlie Puth said he was in shock, calling Payne “one of the first major artists I got to work with.” Paris Hilton, rapper Ty Dolla Sign, and producer Zedd also shared tributes, with Zedd writing that “life is short and fragile” and urging people to be kinder to one another. Republic Records, Payne’s U.S. label, called him “an extraordinary artist whose music touched millions” in a statement, adding that “he will forever be remembered as an icon of his generation.”
Fellow “X Factor” alumni and collaborators, including Cher Lloyd, Olly Murs, and the duo Jedward, also paid tribute, with several extending specific messages of support to Payne’s son, Bear, and his mother, Cheryl Cole.
This article was first published on AP
