Liam Payne, former One Direction member, dies at 31 in Argentina hotel fall

Post-Gazette news services

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.

Buenos Aires police said in a statement that Mr. 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.” Medics confirmed his death on the spot, the statement said.

Pablo Policicchio, the spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, said in a statement to The Associated Press that Mr. 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 Mr. Payne's body in the hotel courtyard, Mr. Policicchio said.

Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, said on Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel that authorities were investigating the circumstances of his death and conducting an autopsy. He declined to answer further questions about the incident, including whether Mr. Payne jumped from the balcony or fell by accident.

Mr. 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 Mr. Payne did not immediately return emails and calls.

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. Video showed dozens gathered on the cordoned-off street outside the hotel, with many recording videos on their cellphones. Forensic investigators were seen exiting the hotel, where Mr. Payne's body remained Wednesday evening.

Mr. 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 Mr. 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.”

“I’ve always loved One Direction since I was little. To see that he died and that there will never be another reunion of the boys is unbelievable, it kills me,” said 18-year-old Juana Relh, another fan outside Mr. Payne’s hotel.

‘Although the boy-band formula was nothing new in 2011, the appeal of One Directions members led to frenzied crowds outside pop-up concerts and movie deals.

When the group arrived in America in 2012 after the release of its debut album, “Up All Night,” “there was nothing security could do about the screaming,” Jon Caramanica wrote of a New York concert in The New York Times.

Mr. Payne was one of the group’s standout singers, though One Direction as a whole underscored affability and casualness. He had several songwriting credits across the group’s releases.

Mr. 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 Direction’s season. Mr. Payne was previously engaged to Maya Henry, from August 2020 to early 2022. Ms. Henry released a novel earlier this year that she said was based on their relationship.

Mr. Payne put out a solo album called "LP1" on Capitol Records in 2019, which was full of collaborations across the musical spectrum: Latin music star J Balvin, rapper Quavo, electronic producer Zedd and more. His single with Quavo, the bouncy and flirty "Strip That Down," reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. But in time, Mr. Styles would eclipse all other former One Direction members as a chart-topping pop star.

In 2020, Mr. Payne teamed up with Swedish producer Alesso for an EP. In ​a May 2023​ interview with iFL TV, he said he was working on a follow-up and also revealed he was 100 days sober.

“I’ve been making an album for a change, which is quite fun,” he told iFL. “It’s been good, I’m excited to bring it out, and I definitely want to tour this time, which is unusual. Because I wasn’t sure I was going to tour for a long time. I was kind of over it a little bit, but I’m really excited to get back out on the road and go and see all the fans.”

In addition to his son, he is survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.