Liam Payne, one of the five former members of One Direction, has passed away at the young age of 31. Liam died after falling from the third story window of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He’d been in Argentina for at least two weeks, having made his last public appearance at former bandmate Niall Horan’s October 2 concert. His girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, reportedly left the country on October 14. Liam released a solo album LP1 in 2019 and most recently, the single “Teardrops” in March 2024. He leaves behind his son with Cheryl Cole, Bear, who was born in 2017, as well as his parents and two older sisters. As of writing this, there isn’t a lot of information available because it’s still an ongoing investigation.
Liam Payne, a former member of boyband One Direction, has died after falling from the window of a hotel in Buenos Aires, according to police there. He was 31. Payne’s death occurred Wednesday at a hotel on Costa Rica Street in the Palermo neighborhood, according to a statement from police provided to CNN.
Buenos Aires police said that personnel from the 14B Police Station went to the hotel on Wednesday afternoon after receiving a 911 call about an aggressive man who was possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The police’s statement did not identify that person as Payne. 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.
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.”
CNN has reached out to representatives for Payne as well as his former One Direction bandmates for comment.
“I do love being on stage,” Payne said of performing and songwriting with the group in a 2015 interview with Entertainment Weekly. He said he was most proud of co-writing their song, “What a Feeling.”
“That was a big one that me and Louis sat and wrote together,” Payne recalled. “It just kinda came together. It was inspired by a Fleetwood Mac sound. It’s just a nice driving jam — imagine driving down the coast.”
One Direction announced they were taking a hiatus in 2015. Payne later released his debut solo album in 2019 titled “LP1.” In May 2023, Payne announced that he was working on a new album that he was “really excited” about, and shared that he was planning a tour.
The tour was set to kick off in South America in September 2023, but Payne had to postpone the scheduled dates after suffering a kidney infection. In March of this year, Payne released the song “Teardrops.”
Payne had a son, born in 2017, who he shared with former Girls Aloud singing group member Cheryl Cole. In a video shared on YouTube in 2023, Payne talked about the love and affection he felt for his son, Bear.
“He’s awesome. He’s growing up far too quickly,” Payne shared at the time. “He’s far more smart than I think I’ll ever be. He’s a wonder.”
This is really sad, especially because he leaves behind a seven-year-old son. My heart breaks for Bear, now having to grow up without his father. It’s just really sad. Liam had a gorgeous voice and a lot of talent. Our thoughts go out to Bear and the rest of Liam’s family and loved ones.
Liam Payne sings his verse in #OneDirection‘s “More Than This” – RIP pic.twitter.com/RIefy11ks8
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) October 16, 2024
Photos via Instagram/Kate Cassidy/Liam Payne and credit: James/Smart Pictures/Avalon, Olivier Huitel/Avalon, James Shaw/Avalon, Robin Pope/Avalon, Mike Gray/Avalon, Best Image/Backgrid