Liam Payne dead at 31: What we know so far

Liam Payne was thrust into the global spotlight when he was just a teenager, as tributes pour in, as ITV News Arts Editor Nina Nannar reports on a life lived in the limelight

Liam Payne, a member of the boyband One Direction, has died, aged 31, after falling from the third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires.

Tributes poured in from fans and celebrities around the world after the news of the star's death became public.

What do we know about his death so far?

How did he die?

Local police released the following statement on Wednesday night: “Liam James Payne, composer and guitarist, former member of the band One Direction, died today after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Palermo."

He fell into a courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood of Argentina’s capital, according to Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system.

Buenos Aires police went on to say the singer's fall resulted in “extremely serious injuries.” Medics confirmed his death at the scene.

They said they rushed to the hotel in response to an emergency call just after 5pm local time, warning of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”.

The hotel manager can be heard on a 911 call saying: "We have a guest drunk with drugs and alcohol. When he [them, gender not clear in conversation] is conscious he is breaking everything in the room."

"We need to send someone with urgency because I don't know if the guest's life is in danger because he is in a room with balcony, and we are afraid he could do something that threatens life," the hotel manager added.

Soon after police arrived, they were told a loud sound had been heard in the hotel's interior courtyard, where they later discovered Payne's body.

The Buenos Aires police said they found his hotel room “in complete disarray”.

Packs of clonazepam, a central nervous system depressant, energy supplements and other over-the-counter drugs were strewn about and "various items" were broken, a statement said.

According to the preliminary autopsy report, Payne died from “polytrauma” that caused “internal and external hemorrhage”.

Why was Liam Payne in Buenos Aires?

Payne was in Argentina to see fellow One Direction singer and bandmate Niall Horan’s gig at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires on October 2, reportedly posting to his Instagram stories beforehand that he wanted to “square up a couple things” with the Irish singer.

He went to the concert with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, and posted a long thread of videos to his Snapchat stories documenting the night, including of the couple dancing.

One clip showing Payne with his arm around Cassidy as they swayed to the music.

There was also footage of Payne interacting with fans and pictures of Horan on stage captioned “So proud” and “So happy I got to see Niall in concert”.

According to videos from both Payne and Cassidy’s social media accounts, the couple stayed on in Argentina after Horan’s concert.

What happened before his death?

Before his death, the star was seen posting on the social media platform, Snapchat, updating his followers on his holiday in Buenos Aires.

"It's a lovely day here in Argentina," he says to the camera and he appears to be enjoying breakfast and joking around with Cassidy.

Cassidy posted on TikTok that she was travelling home from the city just two days before Payne was found dead.

"I was so ready to leave, honestly I loved South America but I hate staying in one place for too long. We were supposed to be five days, turned into two weeks and I was just like I need to go home," she said in the video.

Meanwhile Payne’s former fiancee, Maya Henry, had accused the One Direction singer of repeated unwanted contact before his death.

The model had reportedly started legal proceedings and issued a cease and desist letter against the 31-year-old last week.

In a TikTok video posted on October 6, Henry said: “Ever since we broke up he messages me, (will) blow up my phone.”

“It’s always from different phone numbers too. I never know where it’s going to come from. He’ll create new iCloud accounts to message me… also he will email me… not only me but he’ll blow up my mum’s phone. Is that normal behaviour to you?”, she said.

Will there be an investigation?

Authorities are investigating the circumstances of his death and conducting an autopsy, Crescenti said.

Buenos Aires Security Ministry Pablo Policicchio said the singer “had jumped from the balcony of his room”.

Later in the evening, the body of the One Direction star was seen being transported in an ambulance as emotional fans looked on.

Forensic investigators were also seen exiting the hotel, from where Payne’s body was removed around three hours after the fall.

The Foreign Office confirmed it is in contact with local authorities in Argentina “regarding reports of the death of a British man".

But a spokesperson for the FCDO declined to comment any further, including on the identity of the man involved.

The local Buenos Aires prosecution office, led by prosecutor Andres Esteban and secretary Maria Florencia Lavaggi, confirmed it is leading the investigation into Payne’s death.

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