One Direction star found dead in Argentina

Liam Payne, a former member of the boy band One Direction, was found dead on Wednesday after falling from a hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires, according to local police.

The 31-year-old British pop star fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of Argentina’s capital where he was vacationing, resulting in “extremely serious injuries,” police said in a statement, adding that medics confirmed his death at the scene.

Police said they discovered Payne’s body after emergency services received a call from a hotel manager who had requested urgent police assistance shortly before the singer’s death.

Pablo Policicchio, the communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, told the Associated Press that Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room.” He said police had been called to the hotel after being notified of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

“We have a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol,” the hotel manager said on the recording of an emergency call obtained by Todo Noticias TV channel, as cited by CNN. “He breaks things up. He is tearing the whole room apart.”

Alberto Crescenti, head of the State Emergency Medical System, told the broadcaster that authorities were investigating the circumstances of his death and conducting an autopsy.

Payne had earlier posted on Snapchat, sharing photos of himself shirtless next to a girl in a black bikini. According to The Mirror, the post came 45 minutes before the news of his death was announced.

Payne was one of five members of One Direction, which enjoyed global popularity after it was formed on the British version of The X Factor talent show in 2010.

The band brought together Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson. In 2016, it went on an “indefinite hiatus” as the band members pursued solo careers.

Payne released his debut solo album ‘LP1’ in 2019 and, in 2023, said he was working on a second album. His latest single ‘Teardrops’ was released in March. 

While police are investigating the details surrounding the circumstances of his death, Payne had spoken publicly about his alcohol addiction. Last year, the singer posted a video on his YouTube channel, in which he said he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment.