Liam Payne dead: One Direction star dies aged 31 after ‘falling from 3rd floor balcony’ of Buenos Aires hotel
FORMER One Direction star Liam Payne has died in Argentina after reportedly falling from his hotel balcony.
The 31-year-old singer was in Buenos Aires for pal Niall Horan’s tour when he tragically plunged from the third floor this afternoon, TMZ reports.
A source confirmed to The Sun that Liam has died.
The singer-songwriter was staying at Hotel CasaSur in the neighbourhood of Palermo.
Crowds of heartbroken fans are now gathering behind a cordon outside the accommodation to pay tribute to their idol.
Witnesses at the hotel said Liam smashed his laptop and had to be carried back to his room following an erratic incident earlier in the day, TMZ reports.
Cops were called but on arriving found Liam dead at around 5pm local time (9pm UK time), local media report.
A red tent has reportedly been put up over the body as cops begin the investigation into the tragic death.
The spokesperson for the local ambulance service said Liam’s death had been confirmed on the spot after he had fallen and suffered severe injuries.
Alberto Crescenti told local media: “The alarm was raised at 5.04pm local time saying a person was lying in an internal patio at Casa Sur.
“At 5.11pm an ambulance arrived and the man was certified dead.
“There was no possibility of resuscitating him.”
Liam’s final post on social media was put up on his Snapchat only minutes before his death and showed him and girlfriend Kate Cassidy.
He had posted earlier in the day talking about riding horses, playing polo, and looking forward to returning home to see his dog.
“It’s a lovely day here in Argentina.”
Liam joined One Direction aged just 16 years old and was with the group as it went stratospheric and captured hearts around the globe.
Tributes to Liam Payne
SHOCKED fans have started to flood Liam Payne's last Instagram post with sad tributes as news of the singer's death emerges.
Charlie Puth, who was friends with Liam and also collaborated with him on a song called Bedroom Floor, has posted a series of Instagram stories dedicated to him.
Alongside photos of the two of them together in their younger days, Charlie wrote: “I am in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me.
“He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I can not believe he is gone…
“I am so upset right now, may he rest in peace. I am so sorry…”
German DJ Anton Zaslavski, otherwise known as Zedd, has taken to X with a devastated statement.
The producer, who worked with Liam on his 2017 hit Get Low, wrote: “RIP Liam… I can’t believe this is real…absolutely heartbreaking…”
Irish singer duo Jedward also took to social media, saying: “RIP Liam Payne. Condolences to friends and family.”
In another tweet, they added: “Sending strength to Cheryl and his son Bear. And all the One direction Family. RIP Liam Payne.”
American media personality Paris Hilton shared: “So upsetting to hear the news of Liam Payne passing. Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. RIP my friend.”
He was part of the the band between 2008 and 2015 until the group broke up.
He carried on with his own solo music career and released one solo album in 2019 – LP1.
The Sun revealed last week that Liam had parted ways with his management and had shelved plans for a second solo album.
And earlier this week Liam’s ex Maya Henry called in the lawyers after accusing Liam of repeatedly messaging her, her friends, and her mum.
Liam made his debut as a singer when he auditioned for The X Factor in 2008.
After being eliminated as a solo artist he auditioned again in 2010 and was put into a group with four other contestants to form One Direction.
Liam dated singer Cheryl Cole with the pair having a child named Bear in 2017.
They split in 2018 before he was linked to supermodel Naomi Campbell in 2019.
He had an on-off, three-year relationship with ex-fiancée Henry which was said to have ended for good in May, 2022.
The singer had been open about his battles with drugs.
In 2021, he blamed a “pills and booze phase” for bloating his face to “ten times the size”, while also revealing he used to guzzle the contents of his mini bar when band chiefs checked the lads into hotels to keep fans at bay.
In 2019, Liam revealed he suffered suicidal thoughts as he struggled with his fame he revealed on Ant Middleton And Liam Payne: Straight Talking.
He said: “For some certain circumstances I’m quite lucky to be here still.
“There are times when that level of loneliness and people getting into you every day, it’s like, ‘When will this end?’ That’s almost nearly killed me a couple of times.”
He survived by his son Bear, 7, his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
Inside Liam Payne and Cheryl's romance
By Joanne Kavanagh
IT was a romance that caused a media storm.
One Direction hunk Liam Payne was in a relationship ship X Factor judge Cheryl.
The pair – who have a ten-year age gap – got together while Cheryl was going through her divorce to second husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini at the beginning of 2016.
Despite their age difference they looked completely infatuated with each other when the couple made their red carpet debut at Cannes in May 2016.
Liam even paid a sweet tribute to his girlfriend by getting a tattoo of her eye on his arm.
In 2017, Liam and Cheryl welcomed their baby.
Cheryl posted a picture on Instagram of Liam cradling their 7lb 9oz baby.
She captioned the sweet snap with: “On Wednesday Liam and I became parents to an incredibly beautiful, healthy baby boy looking like a dream.”
One pal told The Sun: “Cheryl gave birth to a baby boy on Wednesday, and both are doing well.
“Liam didn’t leave Cheryl’s side throughout the birth, and like her, he is besotted with their new son and can’t wait to take him home.
“This is the perfect Mother’s Day for Cheryl.”
The Sun revealed in May 2017, that the couple named their son Bear.
They decided on the unusual name after spending a week getting to know him.
Bear adopted his One Direction star dad’s surname, so he is called Bear Payne.
A source revealed: “Cheryl and Liam wanted to get to know [their son] before they decided on the name.
“They didn’t have the name Bear before the birth.
“But they’d been thinking of a name since meeting him and they just felt it suited him.”
In February 2018, The Sun broke the story that Liam’s constant travelling to promote his solo career had placed a huge strain on the relationship, and they were ready to split.
That same month, Cheryl declared that “none of it matters” as she shrugged off questions about her crumbling romance with Liam during a BBC Breakfast interview.
They then put on a united front together at the Brit Awards, where they smiled on the red carpet and Cheryl joked about the couple’s ‘safe word’.
However, by July 2018, Cheryl and Liam made the decision to split.
A pal told The Sun: “Cheryl and Liam worked really hard on their relationship – they had troubles earlier this year and were able to get through them.
“But they’re in different stages of their lives and, after a lot of careful thought, came to a decision that it’s best for everyone if they do go their separate ways.”
Liam and Cheryl then released a statement confirming their break-up.
They posted a message on social media that read: “We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It’s been a tough decision for us to make.
“We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.”