Former One Direction singer Liam Payne has died in Argentina, according to multiple reports.
La Nación, a national newspaper in Argentina, was first to report the news and claimed the 31-year-old British singer fell from the third floor of a hotel where he was staying in Buenos Aires. ABC News confirmed the report, citing local police. Yahoo Entertainment has contacted a representative for Payne for comment.
The Associated Press reports Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, told a local news outlet that Payne was found dead in the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel. Officials have not confirmed whether he fell or jumped. TMZ claims that several witnesses saw the incident.
Payne was photographed supporting his former bandmate Niall Horan at his Oct. 2 show in Argentina. Videos have surfaced of Payne still in the country in recent days.
Payne was seen in Argentina attending his former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert on October 2, according to videos posted to social media from the show.
He had recently celebrated his 31st birthday in the UK, according to videos posted to his Snapchat. Payne was born in Wolverhampton, West Midlands and is the youngest of three. He is an alum of the City of Wolverhampton College, where he studied music technology.
Payne was best known as a member of the famed British boyband One Direction. The band, which also included Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Horan, first formed in 2010 after each member appeared on the UK version of reality competition show “The X Factor.”
Payne shares one child, a 7-year-old son, with singer Cheryl Cole.
Payne had spoken about struggling with alcoholism since the peak of the band’s success.
On 1 June 2022, he was interviewed by Logan Paul for his podcast series where Payne, while intoxicated, said that One Direction originated with Simon Cowell’s promise to him, and discussed former fellow member Zayn Malik’s family life where he declared, “There’s [sic] many reasons why I dislike Zayn and there’s [sic] many reasons why I’ll always, always be on his side”. He then faced criticism with the veracity of several of his claims contested. He subsequently clarified his remarks on Malik and apologised.
Later, in 2023, he announced his sobriety and said that he went to a rehab facility after the controversial interview.
Payne received an ADHD diagnosis as an adult. In August 2023, Payne was hospitalized with a kidney infection.
Payne publicly discussed his struggles with alcoholism and suicidal ideation. In 2023, he stated that he had been sober for over three months.
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