Liam Payne, former member of popular UK boy band One Direction, has reportedly died at the age of 31.
According to multiple news outlets in Argentina, Payne fell from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires this evening (October 16).
According to local newspaper La Nacion, police were called to the hotel just after 5:00PM, responding to an emergency call about "an aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol."
Pablo Policicchio, communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, said in a statement to The Associated Press that the singer “had jumped from the balcony of his room.”
Alberto Crescenti, the head of SAME (El Sistema de Atención Médica de Emergencias), added that the fall was of "around 13 or 14 metres," which caused “very serious injuries incompatible with life.”
"At 17:11, a SAME team arrived and confirmed the man's death," Crescenti added. "We later learned that he was a singer in a musical group. Unfortunately, he had injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall, so we had to confirm his death. There was no possibility of resuscitation.”
Payne rose to fame as a member of One DIrection, alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. The group was assembled on the UK TV series X Factor, and went on to become one of the biggest-selling artists of the 2010s.
Like his fellow bandmates, Payne went solo following One Direction's breakup in 2016, and released one album, LP1, in 2019. His most recent single, "Teardrop," came out on March 1, 2024.
He struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, claiming to hit rock bottom in 2021. However, last year he celebrated his sobriety in an interview with iFL TV, saying, "I feel amazing. I feel really, really good, and the support from the fans has been really, really good, so I’m super happy.”
Payne leaves behind a son, Bear Grey Payne, 7, he shared with Girls Aloud star Cheryl Tweedy.
The family of Liam Payne have issued a statement, saying, “We are heartbroken,” wrote his parents, Karen and Geoff Payne. “Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”