Former One Direction member, Liam Payne, dies at age 31 after tragic fall from Buenos Aires hotel room

Liam Payne (Pic/AFP)

Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, was found dead on Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, according to local officials. Police in Buenos Aires reported that Payne fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood, a popular area in Argentina's capital. The fall caused severe injuries, and medics confirmed his death at the scene.

Liam Payne Death: Former One Direction member passes away

Pablo Policicchio, the communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, told The Associated Press that Payne "jumped from his room's balcony." Police responded to an emergency call around 5 p.m. local time about an "aggressive man possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol," he said.

In a 911 call obtained by the AP, the hotel manager can be heard saying they had "a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol ... He's destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please." The manager's tone became more frantic, mentioning that the room had a balcony. Alberto Crescenti, the head of the state emergency medical service, told Argentina's Todo Noticias TV that authorities were looking into the details of Payne's death and performing an autopsy.

After the news spread, dozens of One Direction fans from around Buenos Aires gathered at the Casa Sur Hotel, forming lines that extended into the blocked-off street where police were stationed. Forensic investigators were seen leaving the hotel, and Payne's body was taken away about three hours after the fall. Heartbroken fans, mostly young women recording on their phones, were in shock as a memorial with candles and flowers quickly formed outside the hotel.

Liam struggled with alcoholism

Earlier, in 2023, Liam had opened up about his struggle with alcoholism and journey to being sober, "I just kind of feel like I've got more of a grip on life and everything that was getting away from me, I just feel like I've got more of a handle on it," Payne, 29, said. "I just needed to take a little bit of time out for myself actually because I kind of became somebody who I didn't really recognize anymore. And I'm sure you guys didn't either. I was in bad shape up until that point and I was really happy to kind of put a stopper to life and work."

While in recovery, Liam Payne was completely cut off, he said, "I didn't have my phone for nearly 100 days," The singer further said, "I didn't connect with the outside world at all. Upon leaving, the hardest part was turning the phone back on because it was a little bit scary."