Emma Hazard Arts and Culture Editor
Content warning: this article contains mentions of drug use and suicide. Reader discretion is advised.
Singer-songwriter Liam Payne passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 16 after suffering from a fall from his third-story hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Payne, 31, was planning to visit Argentina for a few days after attending former One Direction bandmate, Niall Horan’s, concert on Oct. 2. Payne stated in an Instagram story post that it had, “been a while” since he and Horan had spoken to one another, so he wanted to attend his show, and then, “square up a couple of things with the boy.” Payne claimed that there were, “no bad vibes or nothing like that, but we just need to talk.”
On Wednesday, a 911 call had been made by a member of the staff who had been working at the hotel that Payne was staying in, reporting a man (resulting to be Payne) who, “could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” and was described as being “aggressive.” The caller stated that Payne was “overwhelmed” with drugs and alcohol and was tearing his hotel room apart. The call came after witnesses reported Payne acting erratically earlier in the day, which caused him to be carried back to his hotel room. The staff member who made the call urged for help due to fear that Payne was putting his own life at risk.
Upon arriving at the scene, police told The Associated Press that they believed Payne had “jumped from the balcony of his room,” originally ruling his death as a suicide. Investigators believe that Payne was alone at the time of his death, with his autopsy showing no signs of defensive wounds or third-party intervention. After searching his hotel room, investigators found multiple different substances in Payne’s possession, and it is believed that the singer was going through some sort of “outbreak” at the time of his death.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” state former bandmates, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Harry Styles in a joint Instagram post made to the official One Direction account on Thursday. “In time, and when we are able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.”