In a tragic turn of events, Liam Payne’s death occurred within a “seven-minute window”. The former One Direction member, aged 31, fell from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires.
It has been reported that hotel staff made an urgent call to emergency services, and despite their arrival just seven minutes later, they found the singer had already passed away. Local police said the singer fell from the third floor into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood of Argentina’s capital before medics confirmed his death, in a statement to the Associated Press (AP).
Police responded to an emergency call from the hotel manager who had become concerned for his welfare, AP said. Police in the Argentine capital said in a statement on Wednesday that Payne, 31, fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighbourhood. Medics confirmed his death in a statement.
Alberto Crescenti, the head of the state emergency medical system, said on Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel that the singer fell into a courtyard. He added that the authorities were investigating the circumstances surrounding his death and were conducting an autopsy. Crescenti said in a statement: “At 17.04 through the 911 integrated public safety system, we were alerted of a person who was in an internal courtyard of the management of a south house hotel.
“At 17.11 a SAME team arrived and verified the death of this man and later we found out that he was a singer in a musical group. Unfortunately, he had injuries that were incompatible with life, as a result of his fall, so we had to confirm his death, there was no possibility of resuscitation.”
Media in Argentina reported Payne had been in Buenos Aires to attend the concert of his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan. Payne had been documenting his travels across the South American country, including seeing his former bandmate.
Pictures showed shocked fans gathering outside the hotel after police cordoned off the area with forensic investigators see n entering and exiting in white protective suits and blue gloves. Fans were photographed lighting candles and adorning the side of the road with flowers in an impromptu vigil as they paid tribute to the beloved music star.
The Foreign Office (FCDO) confirmed it is in contact with authorities in Argentina “regarding reports of the death of a British man”.
But a spokesperson for the FCDO declined to comment any further, including on the identity of the man involved. Payne formed boy band One Direction in 2010, alongside Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, after they individually auditioned for The X Factor.
After becoming one of the biggest pop groups in the world with five albums and four world tours, One Direction went on indefinite hiatus in 2016. Earlier this month, Payne attended bandmate Horan’s Argentinian concert alongside his girlfriend Kate Cassidy.
Payne, who was born in Wolverhampton, released his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019 which included the songs Polaroid, Familiar and Strip That Down featuring Quavo. The song was one of two tracks that reached the top 10 in the UK official charts, alongside For You with Rita Ora from the film Fifty Shades Freed – which the duo performed at the Brit Awards in 2018.
Payne and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl share a son Bear, born in 2017, having been in a high-profile relationship between 2016 and 2018. The singer first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 at the age of 14 singing Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon, with judge Simon Cowell telling him to return to the ITV talent show two years later.
He impressed the judges in 2010 singing Michael Buble’s rendition of Cry Me A River before he was put with four other solo hopefuls at the boot camp stage of the competition – the group which later became One Direction. In 2012, the boy band won their first Brit Award for best British single for their debut track What Makes You Beautiful, before picking up the Brit global success award a year later.
In 2014 and 2015 they also won best British video for Best Song Ever and You & I respectively. After Malik left the band, the quartet won best artist video for Drag Me Down in 2016. A year later, they picked up the same award for History.
In August last year, Payne postponed his scheduled tour of South America after suffering from a “serious kidney infection”. He said the infection was something “I wouldn’t wish on anyone” and he had been instructed by doctors to “rest and recover”.
Later last year he was banned from driving in the UK after admitting a speeding offence. The singer was reportedly travelling at 43mph in a 30mph zone and was banned from driving for six months, as well as paying a fine, in October 2023.
In August this year, Payne was announced as a judge on a new Netflix show alongside former Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland and The Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger. The stars were to judge attempts to create a band, looking at the contestants’ chemistry as they formed groupings in the musical competition series.