What we know about the death of Liam Payne
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentine authorities continue to investigate the death of former One Direction singer Liam Payne, who died Oct. 16 at age 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
Payne was a beloved member of the group, which formed in 2010 after its members — Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik — auditioned for “The X-Factor” as solo acts and were brought together by judge Simon Cowell. With their loyal fan base of “Directioners" they became one of the most successful boy bands of all time.
Here is what we know — and what remains unknown — about the star's untimely death.
Hotel staff at the Casa Sur Hotel in the chic Palermo neighborhood of Argentina’s capital where Payne was staying called the police with concerns about a guest who they say was “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol.” Police rushed to the hotel and arrived just minutes before the fall.
The hotel manager can be heard on a 911 call obtained by The Associated Press saying the guest was “destroying the entire room” and added, "We need you to send someone, please.” The manager’s voice became more anxious as the call went on, noting the room had a balcony.
Just over a week after his death, a police special investigations unit went to the hotel and seized items including computer hard drives and footage from hotel cameras, a government official told The Associated Press, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.
Argentina’s public prosecution is investigating the case — which is not uncommon when a death is sudden or unexpected.
Initial investigations suggest that the musician was alone and experiencing a “breakdown”
The public prosecutor said the lack of defensive injuries on Payne’s hands indicated that “he did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself and that he could have fallen into a state of semi- or total unconsciousness.”
An Argentine official said Payne had cocaine in his system when he fell and died, according to an initial toxicology report. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief journalists, emphasized that the preliminary reports don't give an accurate reading of how much was in Payne's system. The final toxicology results are not expected to be made public for some weeks.
Payne’s autopsy found that his injuries were consistent with his three-story fall from the hotel window. Officials have ruled out anyone else being involved in his death, and all signs point to him being alone in the room. Authorities did say that they took statements from three hotel employees and two women who had visited Payne in his hotel room hours before his fall.
Buenos Aires police said they found Payne’s hotel room “in complete disarray.” They saw “various items broken” and recovered packs of clonazepam, a central nervous system depressant, energy supplements and other over-the-counter drugs strewn among his belongings.
Forensics teams also reported that authorities recovered a whiskey bottle, lighter and cellphone from the internal courtyard where Payne’s body was found. In recent years, Payne had acknowledged struggling with alcoholism, saying in a YouTube video posted in July 2023 that he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment.
Payne's father, Geoff Payne, came to Buenos Aires two days after his son's death to arrange for the return of his son's body to England.
Geoff Payne visited the morgue to identify the body before heading to the local prosecutor’s office to organize the repatriation of his son’s remains, Argentine authorities said.
He later stopped at the hotel where Liam Payne died to collect his son’s belongings. Throngs of distraught Argentines had gathered at the site for the third straight day to pay their respects.
TMZ, a celebrity news site known for its scoops and tabloid sensibilities, initially included cropped photos of Payne's body after the fall that featured his identifying tattoos in their early reporting Wednesday. After receiving swift backlash, the site pulled the photos.
In the updated version of the story, the outlet wrote, “TMZ has seen a photo showing Liam’s body on the deck at the hotel with tables and chairs nearby” and proceeded to describe the tattoos and how the image helped to confirm early reports of Payne's death.
Fans took to social media to express outrage at the outlet for its decision to share the photos.
TMZ did not return requests for comment.
The surviving members of One Direction — Horan, Tomlinson, Styles and Malik — put out a statement saying they are “completely devastated.”
“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 statement said. “The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever."
Malik postponed a U.S. tour that was planned for the weeks after Payne's death. He, Tomlinson and Styles also shared individual tributes on their Instagram pages, each writing about their close friendships with Payne.
Malik and Tomlinson addressed Payne directly in their statements, each of them calling him their brother. Tomlinson wrote that he wants to “be the Uncle” for Payne's 7-year-old son, Bear, and plans to “tell him stories of how amazing his dad was.”
Payne had his son, Bear Grey Payne, with his former girlfriend, the musician Cheryl, in 2017. He is also survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
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Associated Press Writer Almudena Calatrava in Buenos Aires and AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles contributed. Huamani reported from Los Angeles.
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This story initially ran on Oct. 17 and was updated on Oct. 24.
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