Liam Payne shared poignant One Direction photo in his final Instagram post just weeks before death in hotel balcony fall
LIAM Payne shared a final Instagram post showing him with his former One Direction bandmates weeks before his tragic death.
The singer, 31, was in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for pal Niall Horan’s tour when he reportedly plunged from the third floor on Wednesday afternoon.
The dad-of-one, from Wolverhampton, posted a throwback snap alongside Niall, as well as Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Zayn Malik, and late US filmmaker Morgan Spurlock.
Alongside the photo, uploaded several weeks ago, Liam wrote: “Rest in peace Morgan Spurlock it was a pleasure working with you.”
In the hours before his death, Liam had also shared Snapchat posts, detailing his plans to play polo and showing what he had for breakfast.
He filmed his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, 25, as they ate breakfast, revealing they had been staying at their friend’s home.
The footage sees Liam addressing the camera saying: “This is the breakfast table, just enjoying breakfast and coffee even though it’s 1pm.”
Katie is heard in the background joking that the pair are “losers” for laying in so late.
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.
Broadcaster Rylan Clark said RIP Liam: “Extremely sad news. V tragic and so young.”
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.”
FAME
The singer first auditioned for the X Factor as a solo artist in 2008, aged just 14, but was eliminated.
Two years later he tried again and was included as part of boyband One Direction, formed by music mogul Simon Cowell especially for the ITV show.
After reaching the final stages of the competition, the band went onto huge global success, becoming one of the highest selling boybands of all time.
They went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.
The following year, Liam released solo single Strip That Down, featuring US rapper Quavo, which peaked at number three and was nominated for two Brit Awards.
He released his only solo album LP1 in 2019.
The singer began dating Girls Aloud member and former X Factor judge Cheryl in 2016.
In March 2017 the couple welcomed son Bear. They split the following year.
He had an on-off, three-year relationship with ex-fiancée Maya Henry which was said to have ended for good in May, 2022.
Earlier this week Henry called in the lawyers after accusing Liam of repeatedly messaging her, her friends, and her mum.
TRAGIC DEATH
The star had arrived in Argentina on September 30 with his girlfriend and was seen at Niall’s show dancing and meeting fans on October 2.
Liam was staying at Hotel CasaSur in the neighbourhood of Palermo in Buenos Aires when he died.
Crowds of heartbroken fans gathered behind a cordon outside the accommodation to pay tribute to the star last night.
A spokesperson for the security ministry of Buenos Aires, said police were called to the hotel by a worker about an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”.
Witnesses at the hotel said Liam smashed his laptop and had to be carried back to his room in the erratic incident earlier in the day, TMZ reports.
Cops found Liam dead in the hotel’s inner courtyard at around 5pm local time (9pm UK time) when they arrived.
A red tent was put up over the body as cops began the investigation into the tragic death before the body was taken to the morgue.
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.
A spokesman said: “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.”
Police will now carry out an autopsy on the body.
DRUG BATTLE
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, seven, his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.