Ex-One Direction singer falls to death in Argentina
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, was found dead after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, local officials said. Police said 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.”
Pablo Policicchio, the spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, said 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 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.
One Direction fans flocked from across Buenos Aires to the Casa Sur Hotel after the news broke, forming lines that spilled into the street as police stood sentinel outside.
Young women at the scene expressed shock and heartbreak. “I didn’t think he was going to die so young,” 21-year-old Isabella Milesi told The Associated Press.
Payne was one of five 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, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson into what would become one of the most successful boy bands – even though they lost the competition.
The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits like “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life.” 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.” AP
