Liam Payne, a core member of the chart-topping British boy band One Direction, was reported by staff at the hotel to be under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
ADVERTISEMENTFormer One Direction singer Liam Payne has died after allegedly falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
Payne, 31, fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighbourhood of Argentina's capital, resulting in “extremely serious injuries,” Buenos Aires police said in a statement, adding that medics confirmed his death on the spot.
Pablo Policicchio, the communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, said that Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room.”
Police rushed to the hotel on Wednesday evening in response to an emergency call, he added, 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 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 local media that authorities were conducting an autopsy to investigate the circumstances of his death.
Alcoholism struggles
Payne had previously been vocal about his battle with alcoholism, posting a video in July 2023 where he claimed he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment.
Dozens of devastated One Direction fans, mostly young women, flocked from across Buenos Aires to the Casa Sur Hotel after the news broke, forming lines that spilled into the cordoned-off street outside the hotel where police stood sentinel.
They filmed the scene outside the hotel and expressed shock and heartbreak as a makeshift memorial with rows of candles and bouquets quickly grew outside the hotel.
“I didn’t think he was going to die so young,” 21-year-old Isabella Milesi said.
Payne was one of the five members of the band One Direction, which broke multiple chart records and spawned an intense following after they formed during the British singing competition series “The X Factor” in 2010.
Payne — who hailed from Wolverhampton, a city in the West Midlands region of England — was known as the responsible one in the group.
The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits like “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life," scoring six Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts before disbanding in 2016.
In a 2013 interview, Payne said the band's sudden and meteoric rise to fame took some time to adjust to.
“I don’t think you can ever deal with that, it’s all a bit crazy for us to see that people get in that sort of state of mind about us and what we do,” he said after recounting an experience where a fan was in a state of shock upon meeting him.
ADVERTISEMENTAfter the group dissolved Payne pursued a solo career, shifting towards EDM and hip-hop. He is survived by his 7-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, with his former girlfriend and musician Cheryl Cole.
Representatives for Payne did not immediately return emails and calls.
