Liam Payne, former One Direction member, dies at 31 in Argentina hotel fall

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, was found dead after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, local officials said.

Buenos Aires police said in a statement that Payne fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of Argentina’s capital, resulting in “extremely serious injuries.” Medics confirmed his death on the spot, the statement said.

Pablo Policicchio, the spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, said in a statement to The Associated Press that Payne “had thrown himself from the balcony of his room.” He said police were dispatched to the hotel in response to an emergency call about an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.” Arriving police heard a thud and found Payne’s body in the hotel courtyard, Policicchio said.

Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, said on Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel that authorities were investigating the circumstances of his death and conducting an autopsy. He declined to answer further questions about the incident, including whether Payne jumped from the balcony or fell by accident.

Argentine media reported that Payne was in Buenos Aires to attend the concert of his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan.

Payne was one of five band members of One Direction, which formed in 2010 when they each auditioned for the British singing competition series “The X Factor.” After each singer failed to make it through the competition as solo acts, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges combined Payne, Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson into what would become one of the most successful boy bands.

The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits like “What Makes You Beautiful.” They had six Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts by the time they disbanded in 2016. They had a loyal fan base, many of whom were teen girls, who became known as “Directioners.” Once the group disbanded, Payne pursued a solo career, putting out the album “LP1” in 2019. His last release was a single called “Teardrops,” in March.

Payne had a 7-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, with his former girlfriend, the musician Cheryl who was known as Cheryl Cole when she performed with Girls Aloud. She was an “X Factor” judge during One Direction’s season. He is also survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola. Representatives for Payne did not immediately return emails and calls.

By  ISABEL DEBRE and KAITLYN HUAMANI