Liam Payne, Former One Direction Singer, Dies at 31 After Fall From Hotel in Argentina

Liam Payne of One Direction performs during the Honda Civic Tour at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Calif., on July 9, 2015. Rich Fury/Invision/AP, File

Former One Direction star Liam Payne has died at 31 years old after falling off a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Pablo Policicchio, spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, said in a statement that Payne “had thrown himself from the balcony of his room” at the Casa Sur Hotel.

In a televised address on Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel, Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, confirmed the incident happened in the courtyard of the hotel.

“We were alerted about a person who was in an internal courtyard of Casa Sur Hotel. [First responders] arrived and confirmed the man’s death,” said Crescenti.

“We later learned that he was a singer in a musical group. Unfortunately, he had injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall, so we had to confirm his death. There was no possibility of resuscitation.”

Policicchio said police arrived on scene following a 911 call from the hotel manager informing them of “an aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

Argentine authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding his death and are waiting for autopsy results.

About one hour prior to the incident, the singer posted a series of photos to his Snapchat account with his girlfriend.

Payne was reportedly in the nation to attend the concert of his former bandmate Niall Horan, who was touring Latin America.

Back in 2021, the singer told TMZ in 2021 he struggled with alcohol and substance abuse, noting the temptations that came with fame took a toll on his mental health.

In a video posted to his YouTube account two years later, Payne opened up about his experiences and his decision to become sober, explaining that he had spent 100 days in a rehab facility in Louisiana.

Born in 1993 in Wolverhampton, England, the British singer-songwriter rose to fame in 2010, after auditioning for the British music competition television series “The X Factor.”

One Direction was then formed by host Simon Cowell, bringing together Payne and fellow contestants Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik.

They went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, selling over 50 million records and performing hundreds of sold-out shows worldwide.

The band later announced a hiatus in 2015, and Payne went on to embark on a solo career, releasing his hit song “Strip That Down” in 2017 and the album “LP1” in 2019.

Payne shares a 7-year-old son with his former girlfriend, musician Cheryl Cole, and is survived by his parents and two older sisters.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.