Liam Payne, a former member of the famous band One Direction, was found dead after falling off a balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Fans and the media alike are shocked at the 31-year-old singer’s passing, as it was unexpected. One Direction fans are grieving the loss of one of their childhood idols. Payne’s family, heartbroken, released a statement: “Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.”
A hotel employee claimed to request urgent assistance after finding Payne’s room in ‘disarray’ and described him as someone who was “under the influence of drugs and alcohol who had destroyed some objects in the room,” according to Fox News. The singer was later pronounced dead around 5 p.m. on Oct. 16th.
Police and officials in Buenos Aires have gradually released information since his death. The investigation indicates Payne was under the influence and alone at the time of his fall. Claims about him committing suicide are not true according to an autopsy done after his death. Payne allegedly had a mix of drugs in his system when he passed, including pink cocaine, methamphetamine, ketamine, and MDMA, according to ABC News.
Fans are devastated, making statements all over social media about Payne being their ‘entire childhood’ and having their dreams of a possible future reunion crushed.
Fans are posting videos of themselves crying and mourning the event. The evening after his death, fans gathered around the hotel he was staying at, CasaSur Palermo, to do a tribute to Payne and sing songs from older albums he created, as stated by The New York Times.
Harry Styles shared a photo on Instagram of Payne performing live and wrote, “Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve; he had an energy for life that was infectious.” Zayn Malik also expressed his devastation and even announced on his Instagram story a postponement of his tour so that he can process Payne’s death. His tour was set to begin at the end of October and has been pushed back to January.
Days leading up to his death, Payne was accused of obsessive contact by his former ex-girlfriend Maya Henry. They got engaged in 2020 but reportedly broke up in 2022 after Payne allegedly cheated on Henry. She also claimed that Payne was abusive, alleging he forced her to have an abortion.
Payne was a singer and songwriter who will be missed by many. Both his family, former bandmates, and fans struggle to cope with the untimely death of such an inspirational and impactful person in their lives.
