Former One Direction star Liam Payne died after falling from the third floor of his hotel room in Argentina, according to state police.
Emergency services were called Wednesday evening in order to deal with a man acting erratically and perhaps under the influence, Alberto Crescenti, the director of SAME, Buenos Aires Emergency Medical Services told ABC News.
Payne’s body was found in the inner courtyard of the hotel where he was pronounced dead on the scene, according to Crescenti.
Crescenti told local Argentinian media outlet TN that Payne fell 13 to 14 meters, the equivalent of about 42 to 45 feet, describing the injuries as “very serious” and “incompatible with life.”
Crescenti added emergency services arrived at the scene at 5:11 p.m. local time, seven minutes after they received the emergency services call. Crescenti also told the outlet there was no possibility of trying to save the man, whose identity was only discovered after he was confirmed dead.
The English singer, who was 31, was staying at the hotel CasaSur in Palermo, Buenos Aires, according to police.
Payne, along with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson, were put together into a group on the reality competition show The X-Factor after all five had failed to advance as solo artists. As One Direction, they sold 70 million albums, topped charts and filled stadiums worldwide. They went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.
Payne began a solo career, releasing the song “Strip That Down” in 2017 and the album LP1 in 2019.
The singer shared a YouTube video in 2023 in which he revealed he had been sober for six months after spending nearly 100 days at a Louisiana rehab facility.
When he was 29, Payne said he had “more of a grip on life” now that he’s taken time for himself after becoming “somebody who I didn’t really recognize anymore.”
The singer said he was channeling his energy into being a better dad for his son, Bear, who he shared with singer Cheryl Cole.
Payne released the song “Teardrops” in March, which he said on Instagram was “born from many tears, not all mine.”
“I hope you love it like I do and not too many of you can relate,” he added. (This story updates a previous version published on 10/16/2024 at 5:47pm).
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