In shocking news, former One Direction member Liam Payne has sadly passed away, aged 31. The British musician was found dead in Buenos Aires after reportedly falling from his third-story window at the ritzy CasaSur Hotel in the city’s Palermo region.
According to local newspaper La Nacion, who first reported his passing, police officers were called to the area after being informed about “an aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol” by the hotel’s manager. It’s not confirmed if Payne is the person in question or if any substances were in his system at the time of death. Alberto Crescenti, the head of the Emergency Medical Care System who were the first responders on the scene, confirmed the cause of death during a televised statement. “[Payne] had injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall,” the outlet reports, adding that Crescenti confirmed “there was no possibility of resuscitation”.
Payne’s death comes a week after he garnered attention after attending the concert of his former bandmate Niall Horan in the Argentinian capital. At the time, Payne shared a statement on his Snapchat about the impromptu reunion with the Irish singer. “It’s been a while since me and Niall have spoken,” he said. “We’ve got a lot to talk about. And I would like to square up a couple of things with the boy. No bad vibes or anything like that. But just, um, we need to talk.”
Payne was joined by his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, for the trip, though it’s reported she returned to the US days before his death. Payne is also alleged to have been embroiled in legal proceedings with his ex-finacé Maya Henry. Earlier this year, Henry published “Looking Forward”, a fictional book rumoured allude to the toxic relationship between her and the singer.
Payne skyrocketed to fame in 2010 after Simon Cowell placed him in a group with Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Horan during the ‘bootcamp’ section of reality competition show X-Factor. The five teenagers formed the boyband, with the group eventually placing third in the series. One Direction released its first single, “What Makes You Beautiful” in 2011, with the single debuting at number one in several countries, making the act an instant success.
In subsequent years, One Direction became one of the best-selling boy groups of all time, releasing countless chart-topping singles, five albums, a documentary and embarking on numerous multi-million dollar grossing world tours. The band wavered in 2015 after Malik embarked on a solo career, before officially announcing their indefinite hiatus in 2016. One Direction celebrated its tenth anniversary on 22 July 2020.
Each of the band members has since released music as an individual artist, with Payne launching his debut single, a hip-hop-influenced club song titled “Strip That Down”, in 2017. None of his ex-bandmates have broken their silence on the news thus far, though statements are expected to roll in over the coming days.
He is survived by his seven-year-old son Bear, whom he shared with his ex-girlfriend and Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole.
This story first appeared on GRAZIA International.
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