Liam Payne dead: One Direction star dies aged 31 after falling from 3rd floor balcony of Buenos Aires hotel

FORMER One Direction star Liam Payne has died in Argentina after reportedly falling from a hotel balcony.

The 31-year-old singer was in Buenos Aires on tour with friend Niall Horan when he tragically fell from the third floor on Wednesday afternoon.

Former One Direction star Liam Payne has died Credit: Getty

Liam spoke to fans earlier on Snapchat on WednesdayCredit: Unpixs

Crowds gathered behind a police cordon outside a hotel in Buenos AiresCredit: AP

Liam was a member of the boy band One Direction between 2010 and 2016. Credit: Alamy

Liam arrives at the film premiere in 2010. Credit: PA

Singer Cheryl Cole and then beau Liam

Liam’s last post was posted just minutes before his deathCredit: snapchat

Fans cry as they wait outside the hotelCredit: AFP

Officers are at the hotel as they investigate the death Credit: AP

A source confirmed to The Sun that Liam had passed away.

Liam, who was dad to seven-year-old Bear, shared a Snapchat post just minutes before his death showing him and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy looking at each other in the mirror.

The singer-songwriter stayed at the CasaSur hotel in the Palermo district.

Scores of heartbroken fans gathered behind a cordon outside the accommodation to pay their respects to the star.

Pablo Policicchio, a spokesman for Buenos Aires’ security ministry, said police were called to the hotel by a worker about “an aggressive man who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

Witnesses at the hotel said Liam smashed his laptop and had to be carried back to his room in a strange incident earlier in the day, TMZ reports.

Officers found Liam dead in the inner courtyard of the hotel at around 5pm local time (9pm UK time) when they arrived.

A red tent was erected over the body as police began an investigation into the tragic death.

A spokesman for the local emergency services said Liam was pronounced dead at the scene after he fell and suffered serious injuries.

It comes as

Alberto Crescenti told local media: “The alarm was raised at 17:04 local time saying that a person was lying in the inner terrace of Casa Sur.

“At 17:11, an ambulance arrived and the man was pronounced dead.

“There was no way to revive him.”

Tributes have been pouring in for Liam, with celebrities and fans alike sharing their heartbreak.

Cheryl charmed Liam Payne at the first X Factor audition in 2008

Harry Styles’ mum shared a heartbreaking tribute to Liam on Instagram, captioning it: “Just a boy…”.

While Liam’s ex-fiancée Maya Henry was “in shock” after the tragic news.

Liam posted earlier in the day talking about riding horses, playing polo and looking forward to coming home to see his dog.

He wrote: “It’s a beautiful day here in Argentina.”

Kate also shared a post of Liam just before his death riding a horse with her in the countryside.

Tribute to Liam Payne

SHOCKED fans have begun showering Liam Payne’s latest Instagram post with sad tributes after news of the singer’s death broke.

TV presenter Rylan Clark said RIP Liam: “Extremely sad news. V tragic and so young.”

Charlie Puth, who was friends with Liam and collaborated with him on a song called Bedroom Floor, posted a series of Instagram stories dedicated to him.

Alongside photos of the two of them together in their younger days, Charlie wrote: “I’m in shock right now. Liam has always been so kind to me.

“He was one of the first great artists I worked with. I can’t believe he’s gone…

“I’m so upset right now, may she rest in peace. I’m so sorry…”

German DJ Anton Zaslavski, otherwise known as Zedd, announced to Xu with a devastating statement.

The producer, who worked with Liam on his 2017 hit Get Low, wrote: “RIP Liam… I can’t believe this is real… absolutely heartbreaking…”

Irish singing duo Jedward also took to social media, saying: “RIP Liam Payne. Condolences to friends and family.”

In another tweet, they added: “Sending strength to Cheryl and his son Bear. And to the entire One direction family. RIP Liam Payne.”

American media personality Paris Hilton shared: “So upsetting to hear the news of Liam Payne’s death. Sending my love and condolences to his family and loved ones. RIP my friend.”

The star arrived in Argentina on September 30 with his girlfriend, and was seen dancing and meeting fans on Niall’s show on October 2.

The footage shows Liam at a One Direction Niall Horan concert just days before his death.

Liam joined One Direction aged just 16 after auditioning for X-Factor and finishing in third place with the group.

He was with the group when they released their first album Up All Night in 2011 and took the stratosphere and won hearts around the world.

He was one of the band’s main songwriters between 2010 and 2016, until the group’s breakup.

Liam with One Direction in 2011. Credit: PA

Liam pictured in 2021. Credit: Rex

Liam stayed at the Casa Sur Hotel in Argentina

The star fell from the balcony on the third floor of the hotel

He continued his solo music career and released a solo album in 2019 – LP1.

The Sun revealed last week that Liam had parted ways with his management and put plans for a second solo album on hold.

The Wolverhampton-born singer was born on August 29, 1993 and had early health problems and was bullied at high school.

He made his debut as a singer at the X Factor audition in 2008.

The leaked clip shows a baby-faced Liam telling the cameras: “When I’m at school, in general, I think about singing all the time.

“I really should be concentrating on my school work, but I’m just thinking too much about singing.”

Fans hug outside the hotelCredit: Reuters

Liam sings as part of One Direction in 2010. Credit: Rex

After being eliminated as a solo artist, he auditioned again in 2010 and was placed in a group with four others to form One Direction.

Simon Cowell has united Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles in one of the greatest musical groups ever.

Liam dated singer Cheryl Cole, and the couple welcomed a child named Bear in 2017.

They divorced in 2018 before he was linked to supermodel Naomi Campbell in 2019.

He had an on-again, off-again three-year relationship with ex-fiancée Henry, which reportedly ended for good in May 2022.

The singer spoke openly about his struggle with drugs.

In 2021, he blamed a “pill and booze phase” for his facial bloat to be “ten times bigger”, while also revealing that he used to swallow the contents of his mini bar when band bosses checked the guys into hotels to keep fans away.

Liam revealed in 2019 that he suffered from suicidal thoughts while struggling with his fame, which he revealed in Ant Middleton And Liam Payne: Straight Talking.

He said: “Because of certain circumstances I’m quite lucky to still be here.

“There are times when that level of loneliness and the people that surround you every day, like, ‘When is this going to end?’ It almost killed me a few times.”

He is survived by his son Bear (7), parents Geoff and Karen Payne and two older sisters Ruth and Nicola.

The police will now perform an autopsy on the body.

In the romance of Liam Payne and Cheryl

By Joanna Kavanagh

It was a romance that caused a media storm.

One Direction man Liam Payne was in a relationship with X Factor judge Cheryl.

The couple – who are 10 years apart in age – got together while Cheryl was divorcing second husband Jean-Bernardo Fernandez-Versini in early 2016.

Despite their age difference, they looked totally in love with each other when the couple made their red carpet debut at Cannes in May 2016.

Liam even paid a sweet tribute to his girlfriend by tattooing her eye on his arm.

In 2017, Liam and Cheryl had a baby.

Cheryl posted a picture of Liam cradling their 7-pound, 9-oz baby on Instagram.

She captioned the sweet snap with the words: “On Wednesday Liam and I became parents to an incredibly beautiful, healthy baby boy who looks like a dream.”

A friend told The Sun: “Cheryl gave birth to a baby boy on Wednesday and they are both doing well.

“Liam didn’t leave Cheryl’s side during the birth, and like her, he’s besotted with their new son and can’t wait to take him home.

“It’s the perfect Mother’s Day for Cheryl.”

The Sun revealed in May 2017 that the couple had named their son Bear.

They decided on an unusual name after a week of getting to know each other.

Bear took the One Direction star’s dad’s last name, so his name is Bear Payne.

A source revealed: “Cheryl and Liam wanted to meet [their son] before they decided on a name.

“They didn’t have the name Bear before they were born.

“But they had been thinking about the name since they met him and just felt it suited him.”

In February 2018, The Sun broke the story that Liam’s constant traveling to promote his solo career had put a strain on the relationship and they were ready to part ways.

In the same month, Cheryl declared that “none of it matters” as she brushed off questions about her crumbling romance with Liam during an interview on BBC Breakfast.

They then appeared together at the Brit Awards, where they smiled on the red carpet and Cheryl joked about the couple’s ‘safe word’.

However, in July 2018, Cheryl and Liam decided to divorce.

A friend told The Sun: “Cheryl and Liam have worked really hard on their relationship – they had problems earlier this year and managed to overcome them.

“But they are at different stages in their lives and, after much careful consideration, have come to the decision that it is best for everyone to go their separate ways.”

Liam and Cheryl then released a statement confirming their split.

They posted a message on social media that read: “We are saddened to announce that we are parting ways. It was a difficult decision for us to make.

“We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we go through this together.”