One Direction’s Liam Payne, 31, Has Died After Fall From Hotel Balcony

Former One Direction member Liam Payne, 31, has died in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

The British pop singer is understood to have died after falling from the hotel’s third floor, which was first reported by local newspaper La Nacion. 

The 31-year-old’s death occurred at a hotel on Costa Rica Street in the Palermo neighbourhood, according to a statement from police provided to CNN. 

Injuries so serious there was “no possibility” of saving Liam Payne, said emergency services

La Nacion and Clarin, the largest newspaper in Argentina,  reported emergency services were called to the hotel responding to a call that declared “an aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol.”

Alberto Crescenti, head of the local emergency services, informed the Buenos Aires Times that there was “no possibility” for emergency personnel to save Payne’s life due to his injuries.

“He had very serious injuries that caused his death, such as a fracture at the base of the skull,” he said.

The fall from the balcony is understood to be around 13 to 14 meters.

Earlier this month, Payne attended the concert of his former band mate Niall Horan in Buenos Aires. 

Videos circulating on social media showed the singer dancing to Horan’s set with his girlfriend of two years, Kate Cassidy. 

Payne shared a video on Snapchat announcing his attendance at the concert, stating he wanted to “square up a couple of things” with the Irish singer.

“I think we might just go and say hello,” he said, “It’s been a while since me and Niall have spoken.

“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.”

The rise to fame of Liam Payne

Payne rose to global fame as part of the former boy band One Direction, alongside ex-members Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson. 

The boy band was formed on the British version of the popular X Factor music competition show in 2010. Also known as 1D, the band has been regarded as one of the best-selling boy groups of all time, selling more than 70 million records worldwide. 

Following six years of worldwide acclaim, 1D announced their indefinite hiatus in 2016 for all five members to pursue their solo careers. 

Payne debuted as a solo singer in 2017 with his single Strip it Down, featuring Migos and Quavo. The song charted within the top 5 in the charts of Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

The single also reached number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on the issue dated 16 September 2017, becoming Payne’s first top ten as a solo artist. The track has sold 11.5 million units worldwide to date. 

Payne’s Final Instagram Post

Payne’s final Instagram post was shared on May 29 in tribute to Morgan Spurlock, who directed One Direction’s 2013 concert film, One Direction: This Is Us.

He posted a photo of himself with his One Direction bandmates alongside Spurlock at the film’s New York City premiere, captioning it: “Rest in peace, Morgan Spurlock. It was a pleasure working with you ❤️.”

Spurlock, a documentary filmmaker, writer, and television producer, passed away at the age of 53 due to complications from cancer.

Payne’s quiet battle with depression

Payne previously shared in June 2021 that he faced challenges with alcohol and prescription drug addictions, noting that his situation became so severe he experienced “severe” suicidal thoughts. 

In 2023, he shared with IFL TV that he had completed more than three months of sobriety, stating, “I’m sober now, over 100 days… I feel amazing.”

“I feel amazing, I feel really, really good and the support from the fans has been really, really, good, so I’m super happy,” he said at the time.  

The British artist had a seven-year-old son, Bear, whom he parented with his ex, Cheryl Cole.

He is also survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola, and his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy.