Liam Payne, former One Direction singer, dies aged 31

Liam Payne, a former member of the boyband One Direction, has died aged 31 after falling from a third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, police have confirmed.

The singer died on Wednesday at 5pm local time.

“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,” Buenos Aires police said in a statement.

Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, told Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel that Payne had fallen into an internal courtyard at the hotel.

“A few minutes later [an] emergency team arrived and confirmed the death of this man who we later learned was from a musical group. He had injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall. There was no way to do anything,” Crescenti said.

Crescenti said authorities were investigating the circumstances of Payne’s death and conducting an autopsy.

In a statement on Wednesday, the police said they had gone to the hotel after being notified of an “aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol”, according to Reuters. The hotel manager said he heard a loud noise at the back of the hotel, and when police arrived they found that a man had fallen over the balcony in his room, the statement said.

In a statement, Payne’s family said: “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”

Payne had been visiting Argentina along with his former bandmate Niall Horan, who performed at the city’s Movistar Arena on 2 October. Payne was seen dancing and singing along with Horan’s fans at the concert.

Hundreds of fans gathered outside the hotel on Wednesday evening, where police sectioned off the entrance with tape.

A quiet disbelief hung over the street. Supporters stood in shock, many of them in tears as they consoled one another. Others stared up at the hotel, of which all the curtains were closed.

“I’m feeling heartbroken. I remember when I was a kid I had a lot of bullying in my school and his songs helped. I’m devastated. I came as soon as I heard the news,” said 26-year-old fan Martina Belaustgui. “I saw him at Niall’s show a few weeks ago. He was singing and dancing and jumping.”

“I met him when I was 12. He was with his family and I asked for a picture. He was so nice. I was so shy, he tried to talk to me but I couldn’t say anything. I regret that,” said 25-year-old fan Mariana Pinto.

Musicians including Liam Gallagher paid tribute to Payne. “Life is precious kids and you only get to do it ONCE go easy,” the Oasis frontman tweeted.

Rebecca Ferguson, who was runner up in the series of X Factor in which One Direction placed third and has been outspoken about abuse within the music industry, recalled meeting him in a taxi from Euston station to the show.

“I can’t help but think of that boy who was hopeful and looking forward to his bright future ahead,” she tweeted. “If he hadn’t jumped on that train and jumped in that taxi I believe he would be alive today.

“I’ve spoken for years about the exploitation and profiteering of young stars and the effects – many of us are still living with the aftermath and the PTSD. Many of us are devastated and reflective today as it has finally taken its first victim.”

Born in Wolverhampton, England in 1993, Payne was just 16 years old when he became part of One Direction, a boyband formed by music executive Simon Cowell on British reality show The X Factor in 2010.

The band, which consisted of Payne, Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, didn’t win that season of The X Factor, but went on to become one of the biggest boybands of all time.

They sold more than 70m records worldwide, with hits including What Makes You Beautiful, Night Changes and Steal My Girl.

One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016, and Payne signed as a solo act, releasing his debut single, Strip That Down featuring Quavo, the following year. Other hit songs aside from Strip That Down, which peaked at No 10 on the US Billboard charts, included For You with Rita Ora and Get Low with Zedd.

Speaking to the Guardian in 2019, Payne opened up about his mental health, revealing he’d been in therapy for two years. He said that at the height of One Direction’s fame, he began using alcohol and an epilepsy drug as a mood stabiliser to counter the “erratic highs and lows” he was experiencing. “I just needed a little bit of help to keep me stable … it was very touch and go at times,” he said.

Last year, he said in an interview that he’d completed more than three months of sobriety. “I’m sober now, over 100 days,” he told IFL TV. “I feel amazing, I feel really, really good and the support from the fans has been really, really good, so I’m super happy.”

Payne became a father in 2017, having a son Bear Grey Payne with his then-partner, the X Factor judge Cheryl Cole. The couple split in 2018 after two years together.