Liam Payne, singer-musician who gained fame as part of One Direction, is dead.
According to reports, the 31-year-old supposedly fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel inBuenos Aires, Wednesday, resulting in “extremely serious injuries.”
Pablo Policicchio, the communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, said in a statement to The Associated Press that Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room.”
Police rushed to the hotel in response to an emergency call just after 5 p.m. local time, he said, warning of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
The hotel manager can be heard on a 911 call obtained by the AP 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 voice became more anxious as the call went on, noting the room had a balcony.
Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, told Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel that authorities are still investigating the circumstances of his death and conducting an autopsy.
Note that prior, Liam admitted to struggling with alcoholism.
In a video posted on YouTube in July 2023, he said he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment.
Dozens of fans flocked to the Casa Sur Hotel after the news broke.
Liam gained fame after joining the British singing competition series “The X Factor” in 2010 at 16.
Upon the urging of show judge Simon Cowell, he joined fellow contestants Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, forming One Direction, one of the most successful boy bands of their time.
He went on to form a solo career, notching several hits.
Liam had a 7-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, with his former girlfriend Cheryl Cole of Girls Aloud.
In addition to his son, he is survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
