What we know about former One Direction member Liam Payne’s death
October 17, 2024
By Sandra Gonzalez, Jessie Yeung and Amarachi Orie | CNN
Former One Direction band member Liam Payne has died at age 31 after falling from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to police. The exact circumstances surrounding his death are still unclear.
Here’s what we know:
911 call
Hotel staff had requested urgent police assistance shortly before Payne fell, according to an emergency call obtained by CNN’s local affiliate Todo Noticias.
“We have a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol,” the hotel manager said on the call. “He breaks things up. He is tearing the whole room apart.”
The manager said they needed “someone to be sent to us urgently,” as staff didn’t know “if the guest’s life is at risk.”
Hotel staff could not enter the room, where the guest had been staying “for two or three days,” the manager said on the call.
Police rush to hotel
Fans light candles outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Police officers stand guard at the entrance of the hotel where British singer Liam Payne died in Buenos Aires on Wednesday.
(Juan Mabromata/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
Photos of former One Direction singer Liam Payne, along with flowers and messages from fans, are attached to a tree outside the hotel where he was found dead after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the morning after the incident, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Photos of former One Direction singer Liam Payne and messages from fans are taped to a tree outside the hotel where he was found dead after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the morning after the incident, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A fan stands in front of a makeshift memorial outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the morning after his death, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Police restrain fans gathering outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Fans light candles outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Fans light candles outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Fans light candles outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
People embrace outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Forensic investigators exit the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
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Fans light candles outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Pablo Policicchio, communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, said in a statement to The Associated Press that Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room.”
Police rushed to the hotel in response to an emergency call just after 5 p.m. local time, he said, warning of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
Photos of Payne’s hotel room, released by Buenos Aires police, showed a smashed television.
Authorities are now investigating the circumstances of his death and conducting an autopsy.
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In recent years, Payne spoke publicly about facing battles with his mental health and substance abuse.
He reflected on recurring feelings of loneliness in the 2019 Sky show “Ant Middleton & Liam Payne: Straight Talking,” saying: “There’s times where that level of loneliness and people getting into you every day… every so often, you’re like, when will this end?”
“That’s almost nearly killed me a couple of times,” he added.
Payne also spoke in 2021 on “The Diary of a CEO” podcast about dealing with alcoholism, saying, “It was a problem” and had “really, really severe” aspects to it.
“It feels to me like when we were in the band, the best way to secure us because of how big it got was just lock us in our rooms. And, of course, what’s in the room? Minibar. So at a certain point I thought, well, I’m going to have a party for one – and that just seemed to carry on throughout many years of my life,” he added.
“It’s wild, but it was like the only way you could get frustration out in the day,” he said.
Journey to superstardom
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 02: Liam Payne of One Direction makes a surprise visit to Westfield London, Shepherd’s Bush on August 2, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images for Westfield)
FILE – One Direction members, from right, Liam Payne and Harry Styles perform on ABC’s “Good Morning America” at Rumsey Playfield/SummerStage on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)
FILE – Liam Payne performs during the first day of BBC Radio 1’s Biggest Weekend at Singleton Park, in Swansea, Wales, May 26, 2018. (Ben Birchall/PA via AP, File)
FILE – One Direction members, from left, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Liam Payne perform on NBC’s “Today” show, Nov. 13, 2012 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)
Former One Direction member Liam Payne performing during Nickelodeon SlimeFest at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island on June 9, 2018, in Chicago, Illinois.
(Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 26: Liam Payne from One Direction takes a selfie with fans at the 28th Annual ARIA Awards 2014 at the Star on November 26, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
BERLIN, GERMANY – APRIL 12: Rita Ora and Liam Payne perform on stage during the Echo Award show at Messe Berlin on April 12, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
UNIVERSAL CITY, CA – AUGUST 11: (L-R) Singers Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan of One Direction accept Choice Group award onstage during the Teen Choice Awards 2013 at Gibson Amphitheatre on August 11, 2013 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 19: Liam Payne performs onstage during the MTV VMA Kickoff Concert presented by DirecTV Now at Terminal 5 on August 19, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for MTV & DIRECTV NOW)
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 13: Liam Payne performs during the TAB Everest Race Day at Royal Randwick Racecourse on October 13, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Hanna Lassen/Getty Images for The ATC)
LAS VEGAS, NV – SEPTEMBER 20: (L-R) Musicians Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan of One Direction perform onstage during the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 20, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
English singer Liam Payne attends the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on August 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 02: Liam Payne of One Direction makes a surprise visit to Westfield London, Shepherd’s Bush on August 2, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images for Westfield)
Payne was born on August 29, 1993, in the English city of Wolverhampton and studied music technology at City of Wolverhampton College.
He was still living in the area when he shot to fame on the British TV contest show “The X Factor.” He first appeared on the show in 2008 as a 14-year-old, returning to audition a second time two years later on Simon Cowell’s advice.
He captured the hearts of young fans along with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson after they were all grouped together on the show to form One Direction.
As they amassed a global fanbase of “Directioners,” the beloved boy band became the first to have its first four albums debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Also nicknamed 1D, the group sold more than 70 million records worldwide before disbanding in 2016.
The band was known for songs such as “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Best Song Ever,” “Story of My Life,” “Steal My Girl” and “Night Changes,” and Payne’s solo songs include “Strip That Down (feat. Quavo),” which reached No. 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100, “Familiar” and “Bedroom Floor.” Earlier this year, he released the song “Teardrops.”
Payne is survived by his 7-year-old son Bear, who he had with former Girls Aloud member and “X Factor” judge Cheryl Tweedy.
