BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, whose chart-topping British boy band generated a global following of swooning fans, was found dead Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, 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 Argentinas capital, resulting in extremely serious injuries. Medics confirmed his death on the spot, the statement said.
Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, told Argentinas Todo Noticias TV channel that authorities were investigating the circumstances of his death and conducting an autopsy.
Payne had been vocal about struggling with alcoholism, posting a video in July 2023 to his YouTube channel where he said he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment. Representatives for Payne did not immediately return emails and calls.
Dozens of One Direction fans 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. Forensic investigators were seen exiting the hotel, from where Paynes body was removed around three hours after the fall. Young women filming with their cellphones expressed shock and heartbreak as a makeshift memorial with rows of candles and bouquets quickly grew outside the hotel.
I didnt think he was going to die so young, 21-year-old Isabella Milesi told the AP.
Payne was one of five members of One Direction, which formed when they each auditioned for the British singing competition series The X Factor in 2010, two years after Paynes first attempt to get on the show. At 16 the second time around, Payne sang Michael Bublés version of Cry Me a River, appearing nervous at the start but warming up with the audiences cheers and applause.
Each member had their own persona, with Payne who hailed from Wolverhampton, a city in the West Midlands region of England being known as the responsible one. The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits like What Makes You Beautiful, Night Changes and Story of My Life. Payne had prominent solos on songs including Stole My Heart and Change Your Ticket, co-writing several of the bands hits. They had six Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts by the time they disbanded in 2016 and a highly loyal fan base, known as Directioners, many of whom were teen girls.
Ive always loved One Direction since I was little, said 18-year-old Juana Relh, another fan outside Paynes hotel. To see that he died and that there will never be another reunion of the boys is unbelievable, it kills me.
I dont think you can ever deal with that, its 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 in a 2013 interview with the AP after recounting an experience where a fan was in a state of shock upon meeting him.
After the groups dissolution, Payne like each of his erstwhile bandmates pursued a solo career, shifting toward EDM and hip-hop. His 2017 single Strip That Down, featuring Quavo, reached the Billboard Top 10, and stayed on the charts for several months. He put out an album LP1 in 2019, and his last release a single called Teardrops was released 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 Directions season, although their relationship began years later. Payne was previously engaged to Maya Henry, from August 2020 to early 2022. Henry released a novel earlier this year that she said was based on their relationship.
In addition to his son, he is survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
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Huamani reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press journalists Natacha Pisarenko and Debora Rey contributed reporting from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
