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Former One Direction member Liam Payne has died following a fall from a hotel balcony in Argentina. He was 31. 

Liam Payne dies after falling from hotel balcony in Buenos Aires 

An ambulance and crowds outside the Casa Sur hotel in Buenos Aires following the death of Liam Payne
The scene outside the Casa Sur Hotel on October 16, 2024 | Tobias Skarlovnik/Getty Images

Payne died on Oct. 16 after he fell from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, the Associated Press reported. He suffered “extremely serious injuries,” authorities said, and was pronounced dead at the scene. 

According to Argentianian media (via Deadline), police had been called after reports of an “aggressive man that could’ve been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.” After they arrived, they found Payne in the courtyard.

It is not clear whether Payne fell by accident or jumped from the balcony. An autopsy is pending. But Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, said that he had “a skull fracture, a very serious injury.”

Payne was reportedly in Argentina to attend Niall Horan’s concert 

Liam Payne performs during a 2019 concert
Liam Payne performs in London in 2019 | Jo Hale/Redferns
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Payne was reportedly in Argentina to attend a concert by his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan. In early October, he was seen in the audience during Horan’s performance at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires, according to Billboard. 

Payne rose to fame in the 2010s as a member of boy band One Direction, along with fellow members Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik. The group disbanded in 2016. Payne embarked on a solo career, releasing the album LP1 in 2019. His last single, “Teardrops,” was released in March 2024. 

Liam Payne was in a relationship with Kate Cassidy and had one child  

Payne was in a relationship with influencer Kate Cassidy, whom he began dating in 2022. The couple was spending “quality time” together in Argentina shortly before his death, according to now-deleted posts on Snapchat, per Page Six. 

Payne previously dated Cheryl Cole of the girl group Girls Aloud. She gave birth to their son, Bear Gray Payne, in March 2017. He was formerly engaged to model Maya Henry. On Oct. 15, Metro reported that Henry issued a cease-and-desist letter to Payne after he allegedly repeatedly contacted her following their breakup.  

In recent years, Payne had been open about his issues with alcohol. In July 2023, he shared in a YouTube video that he was six months sober after spending time in a Louisiana rehab. 

“It’s good, it’s good to be in this position,” he said. “I definitely don’t need those things anymore. The party’s over.”

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