On Oct. 16, singer-songwriter Liam Payne, who is best known for being one of the members of famous boyband One Direction, died at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Payne was in Argentina to attend the concert of his former bandmate Niall Horan when the tragedy occurred.
Payne was found by hotel staff after falling to his death from a third-floor balcony. In the days leading up to his death, Payne’s behavior was described as being erratic by hotel staff, and he was allegedly locked in the room as he was considered ‘a threat.’
In an article by The New York Times, writers Lucía Cholakian Herrera and Emmanuel Morgan revealed that “early toxicology results say that [Payne] had cocaine in his system when he died.”
Payne struggled with substance use and alcoholism in the years leading up to his death, something which proved to be a strenuous battle for him. He had seemingly overcome the problem and embraced sobriety until the toxicology report for his death was discovered.
The singer leaves behind his seven-year-old son Bear, whom he shares with his ex-girlfriend, singer and Girls Aloud member Cheryl Cole, who he dated from 2016 to 2018. The pair initially met when Payne auditioned for the X Factor for the first time in 2008 aged 14 and Cole was one of the judges.
Cole posted on her Instagram two days after Payne’s death, asking for people to “please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last.” Other celebrities voiced their condolences for Payne’s death, including all four of his One Direction bandmates: Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.
Cole’s comment comes in light of recent public criticism of Payne’s past actions in his relationship with his ex-fiance Maya Henry, who he engaged in an on-and-off relationship with from 2018 to 2022.
Just a few days before Payne’s death, Henry issued a cease-and-desist to Payne via her lawyers, stating that Payne continued to obsessively contact her, her friends and family. Henry wrote a book titled “Looking Forward,” which was published in May 2024, which she says is a fictionalized version of real life events. In the novel, the main character, Mallory Hunt, finds love with Oliver Smith, a former member of band 5Forward. Smith is very clearly penned based on Payne and in the book, Smith threatens to end his life by jumping off a balcony after undergoing a drug-fueled mental breakdown. Henry has yet to comment on Payne’s death.
Fans around the world have expressed their sadness at the news of Payne’s death, many organizing memorial events, one recently taking place on Oct. 17 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey at a local park.
Investigators are continuing to probe into Payne’s death, trying to reason if his death was accidental or a suicide, and a new investigation delves into whether a hotel employee provided Payne with the drugs or if he obtained them from an outside source.
Payne’s father, Geoff Payne, flew to Argentina to collect his body just a few days after his death. During this trip, he stopped to speak to fans and look at the memorials set up in honor of his son. Payne’s body was set to be flown back to the United Kingdom around Nov. 4, but it is unclear if this happened or not.
Payne’s funeral is set to take place at St Paul’s Cathedral in Wolverhampton, England—Payne’s hometown. Payne’s funeral is expected to take place in the next few weeks, with many stars set to attend and sing at the memorial.
