One Direction's Liam Payne found dead at 31 after falling off hotel balcony in Buenos Aires

Singer Liam Payne in London on November 28, 2016.

Musician Liam Payne, 31, died after falling off a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday. The pop star rose to stardom as a former member of the hugely popular British boy band One Direction, accruing a loyal fan base known as "Directioners", before pursuing a solo career when the group disbanded in 2016.

Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, was found dead after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, local officials said.

Buenos Aires police said in a statement that Payne fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of Argentina's capital, resulting in “extremely serious injuries.” Medics confirmed his death on the spot, the statement said.

Pablo Policicchio, the spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, said in a statement to The Associated Press that Payne “had thrown himself from the balcony of his room.” He said police were dispatched to the hotel in response to an emergency call about an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.” Arriving police heard a thud and found Payne's body in the hotel courtyard, Policicchio said.

Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, said on Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel that authorities were investigating the circumstances of his death and conducting an autopsy. He declined to answer further questions about the incident, including whether Payne jumped from the balcony or fell by accident.

Payne had been vocal about struggling with alcoholism, posting a video in July 2023 to his YouTube channel where he said he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment.


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