One Direction Star Liam Payne Allegedly Dead at 31
Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage Reading Time: 2 minutes
Liam Payne, The X Factor UK star, known as part of One Direction, has reportedly been found dead in Argentina. This is still a developing story at the time of publishing.
Liam Payne Reportedly Fell From Argentina Hotel Balcony
On Wednesday, October 16, One Direction star Liam Payne was reportedly found dead in Argentina. TMZ broke the news of the singer’s death. According to the tabloid’s report, Payne died Wednesday evening.
Allegedly, several witnesses told the publication that Payne fell from his room on the third floor of CasaSur Palmero Hotel in Buenos Aires. Since this is still a developing story, it is unknown if the fall was intentional or accidental.
According to witnesses, Payne’s fall occurred shortly after 5pm. The singer had allegedly been “acting erratic in the hotel lobby earlier that night.” It was also reported that he “smashed his laptop, and had to be carried back to his room.”
This is a developing story.
Payne Rose to Fame at 16 Years Old
For those who may not know, Payne was discovered at 16 years old when he auditioned for The X Factor UK. While on the show, he got paired with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson, creating One Direction.
The group was the biggest boy band in the world after their launch on the TV show. In 2015, the group split up and each of the members pursued a solo career.
Ahead of his death, Payne was open about his substance abuse issues. In 2021, he got candid, revealing that he was struggling with alcohol and prescription drug addictions when One Direction was on tour. At the time, it was revealed that Payne also battled “severe” suicidal thoughts.
In August, it was announced that Payne would serve as a judge on Netflix’s new series Building the Band. Payne was set to judge alongside Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls, and Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child. Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean is the host of the series. It’s unknown if this series had already been shot ahead of Payne’s passing.
It’s known that the singer was recently in Argentina for former bandmate, Niall Horan’s concert earlier in the month. He publicly reunited with Horan at the show.
Earlier this week, reports broke about his relationship with ex-fiancée Maya Henry. The reports broke that Henry alleges Payne left her after asking her to get an abortion. According to TMZ, “her attorneys had been trying to send him a cease desist letter to stop contacting her.”
It is not known if this triggered his “erratic behavior” at the hotel.
I can tell a lot of thought went into writing this—great job.