Liam Payne, former One Direction member, dies aged 31 in Argentina hotel fall

Fans flocked from across Buenos Aires to CasaSur Hotel after the news broke, forming lines that spilt into the street

Members of One direction, from left: Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Harry Styles arrive at Capital FM's Help A Capital Child Appeal at Global Radio in Leicester Square, London on October 15, 2011. PA Wire

Payne performs at Nickelodeon's 25th annual Kids' Choice Awards on March 31, 2012 in Los Angeles. AP

Tomlinson, Malik, Horan, Styles and Payne at the world premiere of One Direction: This Is Us at the Empire Leicester Square in London on August 20, 2013. AP

Members of the band at the Capital FM Summertime Ball at Wembley Stadium on June 6, 2015. AP

Payne performs during the Honda Civic Tour at Qualcomm Stadium on July 9, 2015 in San Diego. AP

One Direction band members with Simon Cowell at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, November 2, 2015. AP

Payne was one of the performers at BBC Radio 1's Biggest Weekend at Singleton Park, in Swansea, Wales on May 26, 2018. AP

Payne at the British Fashion Awards in London, December 5, 2022. AP

Payne and Kate Cassidy at the premiere of All Of Those Voices at Cineworld in London on March 16, 2023. PA Wire

Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, was found dead after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, local officials said.

Buenos Aires police said in a statement that Payne fell from the third floor of CasaSur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighbourhood of Argentina's capital, resulting in “extremely serious injuries”. Medics confirmed his death on the spot, the statement said.

Pablo Policicchio, spokesman for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, said in a statement that Payne “had thrown himself from the balcony of his room”. Policicchio said police were sent to the hotel in response to an emergency call about an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”. Arriving police found Payne's body in the hotel courtyard, he said.

Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, said on Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel that authorities were investigating the circumstances of Payne's death and conducting a post-mortem examination.

Payne had spoken about struggling with alcoholism, posting a video in July 2023 to his YouTube channel where he said he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment.

One Direction fans flocked from across Buenos Aires to CasaSur Hotel after the news broke, expressing shock and heartbreak, and forming lines that spilt into the street as police stood guard outside.

Payne was one of five members of One Direction, which was formed in 2010 when they each auditioned for the British singing competition series The X Factor. After each singer failed to make it through the competition as solo acts, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges combined Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson into what would become one of the most successful boy bands – even though they lost the competition.

The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits such as What Makes You Beautiful, Night Changes and Story of My Life. They had six Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts by the time they disbanded in 2016. They had a loyal fan base, many of whom were teenaged girls, who became known as “Directioners”.

After the group's dissolution, Payne – like each of his former bandmates – pursued a solo career, shifting towards EDM and hip-hop. His 2017 single Strip That Down, featuring Quavo, reached the Billboard Top 10, and stayed on the charts for several months. He put out an album LP1 in 2019, and his last release – a single called Teardrops – was released in March.

Payne had a seven-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, with his former girlfriend, the musician Cheryl who was known as Cheryl Cole when she performed with Girls Aloud. She was an X Factor judge during One Direction's season.

Payne was previously engaged to Maya Henry, although they split in 2022. Henry released a novel this year that she said was based on their relationship.

He is also survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.

Tributes pour in

"I am in shock right now," singer Charlie Puth said on his Instagram story. "Liam was always so kind to me."

"He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I cannot believe he is gone … I'm so upset right now, may he rest in peace."

Paris Hilton also posted a tribute on X. She wrote that it was "so upsetting to hear the news of @LiamPayne passing😢". She added: "Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. 🙏RIP my friend."

“Just talked to you 2 days ago my guy. Ima miss u frfr,” rapper Ty Dolla Sign wrote on his Instagram story, sharing a video of Payne.

Harry Styles's mother, Anne Twist, took to Instagram where she shared a screenshot of a heartbreak emoji and captioned the image with "Just a boy ... 💔".