Liam Payne, known as a member of the boy band One Direction, has died at the age of 31 after a tragic fall from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
According to police reports, the incident occurred at the Casa Sur hotel in the Palermo neighborhood. Emergency services received a 911 call and arrived on the scene but found Payne had sustained fatal injuries.
Buenos Aires police stated that personnel from the 14B Police Station responded to reports of an aggressive man possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Though the police did not initially identify the individual as Payne, it was later confirmed by various media outlets.
Prior to his untimely death, Payne was seen in Argentina attending a concert by his former bandmate Niall Horan on October 2. He had recently celebrated his 31st birthday in the UK and was known to have been open about his past struggles with substance abuse, having completed treatment and shared his journey towards sobriety in interviews.
Payne’s career began in 2010 when One Direction was formed after the members competed on the UK version of ‘The X Factor.’ The group achieved global fame with hits like ‘What a Feeling,’ which Payne co-wrote, and announced a hiatus in 2015. He later pursued a solo career, releasing his debut album ‘LP1’ in 2019 and announcing plans for a new album in 2023.
Payne is survived by his son, Bear, born in 2017, whom he shared with former partner Cheryl Cole. His death has prompted an outpouring of grief from fans and fellow artists alike.