Liam Payne, 31, fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur hotel in the Palermo district of the Argentine capital. Local authorities are investigating the circumstances of the death.
ADVERTISEMENT
According to the Argentine prosecutor’s office, no sign of external intervention has so far been detected in the causes of the death of Liam Payne, the former singer of One Direction.
Liam Payne, died Wednesdayrose to fame as a teenager and faced the pressure of global fame.
Fans and media flooded the Casa Sur hotel in the Palermo district of the Argentine capital, where Payne was found dead after falling from his third-floor hotel room. The four former members of One Direction released a joint statement saying they “completely devastated”.
“The memories we shared with him will be cherished forever,” specifies the publication signed by Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson.
Buenos Aires police say they found Payne’s hotel room “in complete disarray,” with broken objects and furniture.
Boxes of clonazepam, an anxiolytic, energy supplements and other medications were found. The Argentine prosecutor says there also appeared to be alcohol and drugs in the room.
Forensic teams say there was a bottle of whiskey, a lighter and a cell phone in the courtyard of the building where Payne’s body was discovered.
According to the prosecutor, the autopsy revealed internal bleeding and 25 traumatic injuries to the skull, limbs and abdomen, corresponding to a fall which alone could have caused the death of the individual.
His death, however, remains described as “suspicious”, due to the probable consumption of alcohol and drugs on the part of Liam Payne.
The lack of marks on his hands indicates he may have fallen into a state of unconsciousness, the prosecutor said, supporting the theory that Liam Payne “was going through a drug addiction phase” at that time. All signs point to him being alone at the time of his death, the prosecutor added.
The results of the toxicological analyzes are not known at this time.
Fans came in large numbers to pay tribute to the singer, near the hotel where he died.
“It’s very painful that he left so unexpectedly,” said Melissa Acuña, 15, from the vigil.
Tributes continued to pour in, particularly from personalities in the music industry.
In recent years, Payne has admitted to struggling with alcoholism, stating in a video published in July 2023 that he had been sober for six months, after undergoing treatment.
ADVERTISEMENT“We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we will remember him and his kind, funny and courageous soul,” his family said in a statement through Payne’s rep.
“We support each other as best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space during these difficult times.”
Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, who played with One Direction in 2014, said “shocked and saddened”. The Backstreet Boys said in a social media post that their hearts go out to “Directors from around the world”.
One Direction announced an indefinite “hiatus” in 2016, and Payne – like each of his former bandmates – pursued a solo career, moving towards hip-hop.
ADVERTISEMENTIn 2020, on the occasion of One Direction’s 10th anniversary, Liam Payne shared a screenshot of a text message he sent to his father the day he joined the group: “I’m in a boyband”. “I had no idea what awaited us when I sent this message to my father, years ago, when the band was formed,” he wrote.
