Liam Payne's Dad Geoff Pays Tribute to His Son at Hotel Where He Died as Fans Help Him Mourn

Geoff Payne mourns Liam Payne at the hotel where his son spent his last moments before he died on October 16.

Geoff, 66, arrived at the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Friday, October 18, to retrieve his son’s belongings and arrange his return to the UK, according to the BBC and Argentine news channel TN.

Geoff Payne October 18, 2024; Liam Payne in June 2024.

AP Photo/Mario De Fina; PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC images

When he arrived on Friday morning – less than two days after the former One Direction member was pronounced dead after falling from a hotel balcony – he was met by crowds of fans and tributes gathered outside the hotel.

Geoff stopped to thank the fans gathered outside, TN reported. He also looked at shrines erected in his son’s honor, read some of the messages fans had written to his son and kissed his photo.

Geoff Payne in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 18, 2024.

Luciano Gonzalez/Anadolu via Getty

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After Geoff entered the hotel, some of Liam’s fans tried to stop reporters from following him into the building and later raised their arms to shield him from the media while he was inside, notes TN.

One of the fans who helped form the barrier told the BBC that fans at the hotel wanted to give Geoff “a moment” to express his feelings and to “see how much we love Liam”.

The British paper also noted that earlier in his visit, the musician’s father also visited a mortuary in Buenos Aires to officially identify his son and arrange his return to his homeland.

Geoff Payne at the CasaSur Hotel Palermo on October 18, 2024.

AP Photo/Mario De Fina

Liam Payne’s life in photos

Liam died on Wednesday, October 16 at the age of 31 after falling several floors from a hotel balcony. A preliminary autopsy report later revealed that the “Strip That Down” singer died of multiple injuries and “internal and external” bleeding.

Coroners also confirmed that “no defensive injuries were found”, confirming reports from local authorities that the star had allegedly jumped from the balcony of her hotel room before her death.

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Geoff Payne at the CasaSur Hotel Palermo on October 18, 2024.

AP Photo/Mario De Fina

An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of the musician’s sudden death.

Geoff has not spoken publicly about his son’s death, but the musician’s family released a statement to several media outlets, including the BBC.

“We are heartbroken. Liam will live in our hearts forever and we will remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” the statement read. “We are supporting each other as best we can as a family and are asking for privacy and space during this awful time.”

Geoff Payne and Liam Payne 2020.

Liam Payne/Facebook

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His sister, Ruth Gibbins, also paid tribute to the late One Direction student, writing that she would “drive to the end of the universe to bring you back.”

In a heartbreaking tribute shared on Instagram, Gibbins included some sweet moments the brother-sister duo have shared over the years. She said the musician was “my best friend, no one could ever make me laugh as much as he did, his impressions always gave me goosebumps and he loved to see how much he could laugh.”

Gibbins concluded her message by promising to “take care of” Liam’s 7-year-old son, Bear. “He will always know how amazing his dad is and how much you idolize him,” she wrote. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. I love you, oh how my heart misses you.”

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Source: HIS Education