Liam Payne, a former member of boyband One Direction, has died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, according to police there. He was 31.
Payne’s death occurred Wednesday at a hotel on Costa Rica Street in the Palermo neighborhood, according to a statement from police.
Payne was seen in Argentina attending his former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert on October 2, according to videos posted to social media from the show.
He had recently celebrated his 31st birthday in the UK, according to videos posted to his Snapchat. Payne was born in Wolverhampton, West Midlands and is the youngest of three.
Liam Payne of the famed British boyband One Direction
Payne was best known as a member of the famed British boyband One Direction. The band, which also included Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Horan, first formed in 2010 after each member appeared on the UK version of reality competition show “The X Factor.”
One Direction announced they were taking a hiatus in 2015. Payne later released his debut solo album in 2019 titled “LP1.” In May 2023, Payne announced that he was working on a new album that he was “really excited” about, and shared that he was planning a tour.
He had been open about past struggles with substance abuse and talked about completing treatment and being six months sober in the summer of 2023.
The tour was set to kick off in South America in September that same year, but Payne had to postpone the scheduled dates after suffering a kidney infection.
In March of this year, Payne released the song “Teardrops.”
Tributes for the singer
Paris Hilton paid tribute on X, calling the news of Liam’s death “so upsetting”. “Sending love and condolences to his family and loved ones,” she wrote. “RIP my friend.”
BBC Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball said “devastating news, dear Liam Payne,” while US singer Charlie Puth, a co-writer on Liam’s 2017 song Bedroom Floor, said he was “in shock”. “Liam was always so kind to me,” he wrote on Instagram Stories. “He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I cannot believe he is gone… I am so upset right now, may he rest in peace.”
Payne had a son, born in 2017, who he shared with former Girls Aloud singing group member Cheryl Cole.
In a video shared on YouTube in 2023, Payne talked about the love and affection he felt for his son, Bear.
“He’s awesome. He’s growing up far too quickly,” Payne shared at the time. “He’s far more smart than I think I’ll ever be. He’s a wonder.”
