Former One Direction star Liam Payne has died at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Authorities say they will conduct an autopsy and investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
Born on August 29, 1993, in Wolverhampton, England, Payne rose to fame while competing on season five of The X Factor in 2008 in front of judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh.
After the audition stages, Cowell grouped Payne with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. One Direction went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time before going on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.
Payne had a son, born in 2017, with former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole.
Tributes from across the music industry have quickly poured in for Payne. While none of his former One Direction members have spoken out yet, Styles’s mother posted a broken heart emoji on Instagram with the caption, “Just a boy.”
Key Points
- What we know so far about Liam Payne’s shocking death at a Buenos Aires hotel
- Liam Payne: The ambitious One Direction star who struggled with dark side of fame
- Harry Styles’s mom speaks out after Liam Payne’s death
- Liam Payne caught in legal battle with ex over allegations of repeated contact
In pictures: Police investigate scene of Liam Payne’s death
04:31
Katie Hawkinson
What we know about One Direction’s Liam Payne’s shocking death at a Buenos Aires hotel
04:02
Katie Hawkinson
Liam Payne, the singer and former One Direction member, was found dead outside a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Wednesday night.
His friends and millions of fans are already paying tribute to the 31-year-old, who police say fell from a third-floor hotel balcony. He is survived by his parents, his two older sisters, and his seven-year-old son, Bear.
Here’s everything we know so far about Payne’s death and the circumstances leading up to it:
Harry Styles’s mom speaks out
03:45
Katie Hawkinson
Anne Twist, mother of fellow former One Direction member Harry Styles, posted a broken-heart emoji on Instagram soon after Liam Payne’s death was announced.
“Just a boy,” Twist wrote.
MTV issues statement honoring Liam Payne
03:30
Katie Hawkinson
We’re deeply saddened to learn of Liam Payne’s tragic passing today. During this difficult time, our hearts remain with his family, loved ones, and fans. pic.twitter.com/OT63aeAvGO
— MTV (@MTV) October 16, 2024
Rapper Flavor Flav pays tribute to Liam Payne
03:15
Katie Hawkinson
RIP to Liam Payne,,, much too young
— FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) October 16, 2024
Liam Payne: The ambitious One Direction star who struggled with dark side of fame
03:00
Roisin O'Connor
Liam Payne, who rose to global fame as a member of the British pop band One Direction, has died aged 31.
The singer died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Argentina, officials said on Wednesday 16 October. Pablo Policicchio, the spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, said in a statement to the Associated Press that 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”.
Born in Wolverhampton, England, Payne was drawn to singers such as Usher and Justin Timberlake. He remembered his childhood as a happy one: his father, Geoff, worked as a fitter, while his mother, Karen, was a nursery nurse.
Read more:
ICYMI: Police called to hotel where Liam Payne died for report of intoxicated man
02:45
Katie Hawkinson
Police received a call just after 5 pm local time over an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol” at the hotel where Liam Payne died, Pablo Policicchio, the communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, told the Associated Press.
The hotel manager told police that there was “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 said, according to call audio obtained by the Associated Press.
Watch: One Direction singer Liam Payne dies aged 31
02:30
Katie Hawkinson
Paris Hilton pays tribute to Payne
02:15
Katie Hawkinson
So upsetting to hear the news of @LiamPayne passing Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. RIP my friend
— Paris Hilton (@ParisHilton) October 16, 2024
Watch: Police attend scene at Buenos Aires hotel after Liam Payne falls from balcony
02:00
Katie Hawkinson
Officials confirmed Liam Payne’s death ‘on the spot’, official reveals
01:45
Katie Hawkinson
Liam Payne suffered “extremely serious injuries” when he fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, local police told the Associated Press.
Medics confirmed his death on the spot, according to the AP.
Police were initially called to the hotel over reports of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” officials told the AP.
Singer Charlie Puth posts photo with Liam Payne on Instagram following news of his death
01:30
Katie Hawkinson
Liam Payne caught in legal battle with ex over allegations of repeated contact
01:27
Katie Hawkinson
Liam Payne and his ex-girlfriend, Maya Henry, were in a legal battle when he died on Wednesday night.
Henry, 23, had issued a cease and desist notice to Payne earlier this week, accusing him of repeatedly contacting her and her loved ones, The Daily Mail reported.
“‘Maya Henry issued a cease and desist last week to Liam Payne following the emergence of new and concerning information,” her lawyers told the Mail. “She has retained attorneys Marco Crawford and Daniel Cerna to represent her. At this time, that is her only comment on the matter.”
Henry also spoke out in a TikTok video earlier this month.
“Ever since we broke up he messages me, will blow up my phone, not only from his phone, it’s always from different phone numbers too, so I never know where it’s gonna come from,” Henry said in the video.
Liam Payne tributes: MTV and music icons pay condolences after One Direction star’s shock death
01:15
Kevin EG Perry
A wide range of stars from across the world are paying tribute to Liam Payne after the shock death of the former One Direction star at the age of 31.
Read on:
In pictures: Fans mourn Liam Payne
01:10
Katie Hawkinson
Former ‘X-Factor’ presenter Dermot O’Leary posts tribute to Liam Payne
01:00
Katie Hawkinson
Liam Payne: the ambitious One Direction star who struggled with dark side of fame
Thursday 17 October 2024 00:45
Katie Hawkinson
Liam Payne, who rose to global fame as a member of the British pop band One Direction, has died aged 31.
Read The Independent’s full obituary:
Payne reportedly in Argentina for Niall Horan show
Thursday 17 October 2024 00:30
Mike Bedigan
Liam Payne was reportedly in Buenos Aires for a show by Niall Horan, previously telling fans he needed to “square a couple of things” with his former One Direction bandmate.
“We’re going to Argentina,” he wrote on Instagram. “One, because we want to. Two, because we want to. And three, because Niall Horan’s playing down there and I think we might just go and say ‘hello.’”
Payne also admitted: “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 things with the boy. No bad vibes or nothing like that but we just need to talk.”
Brit awards pays tribute to Liam Payne
Thursday 17 October 2024 00:20
Mike Bedigan
We’re incredibly sad to learn of the tragic passing of Liam Payne. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family at this time. pic.twitter.com/2aAtTEw5EU
— BRIT Awards (@BRITs) October 16, 2024
Liam Payne death: Crowd gathers and police attend scene at Buenos Aires hotel
Thursday 17 October 2024 00:10
Mike Bedigan
Liam Payne posted Snapchat Story in hours before death
Thursday 17 October 2024 00:00
Mike Bedigan
Liam Payne posted several videos to his Snapchat Story in the hours leading up to his death on Wednesday.
In one of the since-deleted snaps, the One Direction star told fans he was having a “lovely day” while spending time with girlfriend Kate Cassidy in Argentina.
The couple sat around a dining room table while enjoying different breakfast foods and discussing their plans for the rest of the day, which included polo and riding horses.
Fans outside hotel pay tribute to Liam Payne
Wednesday 16 October 2024 23:50
Mike Bedigan
Fans gathering outside the hotel in Buenos Aires expressed their sorrow following the death of Liam Payne.
Martina di Lalla, a fan of the band went to see the British pop band in May 2015, told El Pais: “It hit us hard, One Direction was part of our adolescence.
“I camped out for two nights to see them years ago, it’s like someone [close to us] dying.”
Emergency services chief: ‘no possibility’ of saving Payne
Wednesday 16 October 2024 23:47
Mike Bedigan
Head of the local emergency services, Alberto Crescenti, said that “there was no possibility” for emergency personnel to save Liam Payne’s life, stating he had “very serious injuries.”
“He had very serious injuries that caused his death, such as a fracture at the base of the skull,” said the doctor, who said investigators and experts would now look into the circumstances of the tragedy.
Celebrities post tributes to Liam Payne
Wednesday 16 October 2024 23:42
Mike Bedigan
Extremely sad news. V tragic and so young. RIP Liam x
— R Y L A N (@Rylan) October 16, 2024
RIP Liam Payne condolences to friends and family
— JEDWARD (@planetjedward) October 16, 2024
So upsetting to hear the news of @LiamPayne passing Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. RIP my friend
— Paris Hilton (@ParisHilton) October 16, 2024
In pictures: From the scene
Wednesday 16 October 2024 23:35
Mike Bedigan
Security Ministry offers more details about Liam Payne death
Wednesday 16 October 2024 23:30
Mike Bedigan
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, later 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.
Who is Liam Payne?
Wednesday 16 October 2024 23:24
Tom Watling
Liam James Payne, part of the hugely successful boy band One Direction, was born in Wolverhampton on August 29, 1993.
He first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008, aged just 14.
Payne progressed through several rounds of the show but was eventually told by judge Simon Cowell to “come back in two years.”
Payne was then part of the original line-up of the world-famous boy band, formed in 2010, alongside Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles.
After becoming one of the biggest pop groups in the world with five albums and four world tours, they went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.
Payne released his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019 which included the singles Polaroid and Familiar.
He and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl share a son Bear, born in 2017, having been in a high-profile relationship between 2016 and 2018.
We have more information about the reported death of Liam Payne
Wednesday 16 October 2024 23:21
Tom Watling
Liam Payne, the singer who shot to international fame as a member of One Direction, has died. He was 31.
Citing emergency services, CNN reports that the musician was found dead after falling from a balcony on the third floor of a hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires.
They cite local people as saying his death occurred at a hotel on Costa Rica Street in the city’s Palermo neighborhood.
Payne arrived in South America earlier this month to attend a concert by Niall Horan. He claimed at the time he wanted to “square up a couple of things” with his former bandmate, and was later ridiculed by fans for his behaviour at the Movistar Arena.
MTV issues condolences to family of One Direction star
Wednesday 16 October 2024 23:20
Tom Watling
MTV have issued a statement of condolence after it was reported that One Direction star Liam Payne has died.
“We’re deeply saddened to learn of Liam Payne’s tragic passing today,” the channel wrote. “During this difficult time, our hearts remain with his family, loved ones, and fans.”
We’re deeply saddened to learn of Liam Payne’s tragic passing today. During this difficult time, our hearts remain with his family, loved ones, and fans. pic.twitter.com/OT63aeAvGO
— MTV (@MTV) October 16, 2024
Liam Payne’s death confirmed by police
Wednesday 16 October 2024 23:15
Tom Murray
Citing emergency services, CNN reports that the musician was found dead after falling from a balcony on the third floor of a hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires.
Read more: