Liam Payne, a former member of the globally renowned boy band One Direction, tragically lost his life after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina. The 31-year-old singer was reportedly staying at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel when the incident occurred. Eyewitnesses reported that Payne was behaving unusually prior to his untimely demise, but it remains uncertain whether the fall was accidental or intentional.
On the day of his death, Payne had posted on Snapchat, giving no indication of the tragedy that was to unfold. The singer had reportedly caused a scene in the hotel lobby, smashing his laptop before being escorted back to his room. A photograph, believed to be of Payne’s arm, was published by a news outlet, but the full image, reportedly showing the singer’s body on a wooden deck, was not released.
The scene outside the hotel was one of shock and mourning as news of Payne’s death spread. Fans gathered, phones aloft, as police and forensic teams worked at the scene. The singer’s body was later removed from the hotel and transported in an ambulance under police escort.
Payne had arrived in Argentina earlier in the month with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, to support his former One Direction bandmate, Niall Horan, who was performing in the country. The couple had been sharing updates from their vacation on social media, with Payne posting several pictures on Snapchat on the day of his death. However, Cassidy had returned to the United States two days prior to the incident and has not publicly commented on Payne’s death.
Born on August 29, 1993, in Wolverhampton, England, Payne first tasted fame as a member of the Pink Productions Theatre Company’s “Saturday Night Fever.” His big break came in 2010 when he auditioned for “The X Factor” for the second time, leading to the formation of One Direction. The band, which also included Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Harry Styles, quickly rose to fame, selling 70 million records worldwide.
Payne leaves behind a son, Bear, from his relationship with singer Cheryl Cole. The couple met on “The X Factor,” where Cole was a judge, and welcomed their son in 2017. Payne had spoken about the joys and challenges of young fatherhood in previous interviews. His relationship with Cole ended in 2018, and he was later engaged to model Maya Henry, though their relationship ended in 2022. At the time of his death, Payne was dating Cassidy, whom he had been linked to since October 2022.