Liam Payne, the former One Direction band member, died on October 16 after falling from the balcony of his third-floor room at the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Payne traveled to Argentina on September 30 to watch One Direction co-star Niall Horan on tour after. Previously, he joked about wanting to “square up a couple of things” with his former bandmate.
While there, Payne shared videos of himself and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, who left the country two days prior to her boyfriend’s tragic passing.
The reason why she returned home from Argentina without Payne was that she couldn’t stay at one place for too long, stating on TikTok that “we were supposed to be there for, like, five days, turned into two weeks.”
She added: “I was just like, ‘I need to go home.’ I was so happy to be home. It was so relieving.”
On the last photo he shared on his social media, Payne posed alongside Cassidy. It has been reported that he died minutes later.
On that tragic day, a worker at the hotel called 911 and reported a guest who was “behaving erratically.” After smashing his laptop, Payne was forced into his room.
“We have a guest who is off his head on drugs and alcohol, and well, when he is conscious he is destroying everything in the room,” the worker who made the call said. “And we need you to send someone, please.”
The report from National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office No. 14. stated that Payne died from “polytrauma, internal and external hemorrhage,” further stating that he was “going through some kind of outbreak due to substance abuse.”
The case is being investigated as a “doubtful death,” though it appears Payne was alone at the time of the fall.
Sadly, Payne wasn’t a stranger to substance abuse. In fact, he was open of his struggles with “pills and booze” addiction at the height of his fame.
“In the band… the best way to secure us, because of how big we’d got, was just to lock us in our rooms. What’s in the room? A mini-bar,” he said in a 2021 interview on the The Diary of a CEO podcast. “So at a certain point I thought, I’m just going to have a party-for-one and that seemed to carry on for many years of my life. Then you look back at how long you’ve been drinking and you’re like, ‘Jesus Christ, that’s a long time.’”
In May 2023, he shared with his fans that he was 100 days sober and feeling great about it.
One Direction, the band that competed on X Factor, was signed by Simon Cowell, and turned to be one of the most famous boy bands in history, helped Payne reach worldwide fame.
They were adored by millions and worshiped by legions of fans who are now heartbroken by the musician’s loss.
“He was my favorite,” Camila Martínez, a 24-year-old mourning outside the hotel in Argentina, told the New York Times. “My heart shattered when the band split. My life was tough, and I’d turn to their music whenever I felt sad.”
British singer-songwriter Rita Ora, who collaborated with Payne on the song For You, posted on X. “I’m devastated,” she wrote. “He had the kindest soul, I will never forget. I loved working with him so much – he was just such a joy to be around on and off stage. This tragic news breaks my heart. Sending all my love and prayers to his family and loved ones.”
His former bandmates released a joint statement.
Payne’s One Direction bandmates also released a joint statement on his death this afternoon:
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” the Hollywood Reporter. “In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
We are so sorry for this devastating loss. Rest in peace, Liam Payne.
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