Liam Payne dies age 31 after fall from hotel room
YouTube: Diary of a CEOLiam Payne of One Direction fame has been reported dead after falling from a balcony in his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The 31-year-old singer found fame as part of One Direction, the British boy band that took over the music scene in the early 2010’s.
Reports state the artist died on Wednesday evening after falling from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel.
YouTube: IMPAULSIVEAt the time of writing, it’s unclear whether or not the fall was intentional. Liam’s body was photographed on the wooden deck, surrounded by tables and chairs.
Witnesses state that the incident occurred after 5 PM, claiming that the singer had been behaving “erratically” in the hotel’s lobby prior to his death. Reports state that he allegedly “smashed his laptop” and carried it back to his room.
Payne was in Buenos Aires to attend the concert of Niall Horan, a former One Direction bandmate, where the group even reunited with each other.
This news follows Payne opening up about his struggles with prescription drug and alcohol addictions in a June 2021 podcast, saying he’d had “suicidal thoughts” that were “really, really severe.”
Fans were left devastated by the news, with many pointing out the artist’s social media posts uploaded mere hours before his death.
911 call from hotel made public
Audio from the emergency call made by the hotel desk manager to authorities, relating to Liam Payne, has now been released.
Translated to English by Sky News, it reveals concern for one of their guests, who was intoxicated.
“We have a guest drunk on drugs and alcohol,” the desk manager said. “When he’s conscious he’s breaking everything in the room.”
They then ask authorities to “send someone with urgency,” and that both police and medical services would be required to enter the guest’s room.
One Direction members respond to Payne’s death
On October 17, 1D members Harry, Louis, Niall and Zayn released a joint statement regarding Payne’s death.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” they wrote. “In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.
“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Louis Tomlinson also published a separate statement on social media, where he revealed the two had been in talks to make new music together and “recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band.”
He also shared a heartfelt message to Payne, saying he feels “beyond lucky to have had you in my life but I’m really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye.
“I’m so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours, reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought l’d have with you for life. I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn’t to be.”
Zayn Malik pays tribute to Liam in heartfelt post
Zayn Malik also made a separate post on his Instagram account, where he gave a touching tribute to his friend and briefly touched on the disagreements they had while in the band together, saying he always “secretly respected” Payne for being “headstrong, opinionated, and gave no f*cks about telling people when they were wrong.”
“I lost a brother when you left us, and I can’t explain to you what I’d give to just give you a huge one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly,” he wrote.
“I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever. There are no words to justify or explain how I feel right now other than beyond devastated.”
Harry Styles honors Liam with his own message
Harry Styles has also shared a message on Instagram, in which he states that he is “truly devasted by Liam’s passing.”
He added, “The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend.”
Styles then shared his condolences with Payne’s family and “all those around the world who knew and loved him, as I did.”