Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Liveupdated

Liam Payne’s body sent for autopsy as authorities try to determine what led to fatal hotel fall: Live updates

Tributes have quickly poured in for young star Liam Payne, who shot to fame on ‘The X Factor’ as part of One Direction alongside Harry Styles

Tom Murray,Katie Hawkinson
Wednesday 16 October 2024 23:02 EDT
Comments
One Direction singer Liam Payne dies aged 31

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Former One Direction star Liam Payne has died at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Pablo Policicchio, the communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, told the Associated Press the singer “had jumped from the balcony of his room” on Wednesday evening.

Now, authorities say they will conduct an autopsy and investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.

Born on August 29, 1993, in Wolverhampton, England, Payne rose to fame while competing on season five of The X Factor in 2008 in front of judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh.

After the audition stages, Cowell grouped Payne with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. Following the 2011 launch of their debut album, Up All Night, One Direction went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time before going on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.

Payne had a son, born in 2017, whom he shared with former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole.

Tributes from across the music industry have quickly poured in for Payne.

What we know about One Direction’s Liam Payne’s shocking death at a Buenos Aires hotel

Liam Payne, the singer and former One Direction member, was found dead outside a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Wednesday night.

His friends and millions of fans are already paying tribute to the 31-year-old, who police say fell from a third-floor hotel balcony. He is survived by his parents, his two older sisters, and his seven-year-old son, Bear.

Here’s everything we know so far about Payne’s death and the circumstances leading up to it:

What we know about Liam Payne’s shocking death at a Buenos Aires hotel

Authorities are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the former One Direction member’s death

Katie Hawkinson17 October 2024 04:02

Harry Styles’s mom speaks out

Anne Twist, mother of fellow former One Direction member Harry Styles, posted a broken-heart emoji on Instagram soon after Liam Payne’s death was announced.

“Just a boy,” Twist wrote.

Katie Hawkinson17 October 2024 03:45

MTV issues statement honoring Liam Payne

Katie Hawkinson17 October 2024 03:30

Rapper Flavor Flav pays tribute to Liam Payne

Katie Hawkinson17 October 2024 03:15

Liam Payne: The ambitious One Direction star who struggled with dark side of fame

Liam Payne, who rose to global fame as a member of the British pop band One Direction, has died aged 31.

The singer died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Argentina, officials said on Wednesday 16 October. Pablo Policicchio, the spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, said in a statement to the Associated Press that police were dispatched to the hotel in response to an emergency call about an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”.

Born in Wolverhampton, England, Payne was drawn to singers such as Usher and Justin Timberlake. He remembered his childhood as a happy one: his father, Geoff, worked as a fitter, while his mother, Karen, was a nursery nurse.

Read more:

Liam Payne: The ambitious One Direction star who struggled with dark side of fame

Singer, who rose to fame as a member of boyband One Direction, died aged 31 after falling from a hotel in Buenos Aires

Roisin O'Connor17 October 2024 03:00

ICYMI: Police called to hotel where Liam Payne died for report of intoxicated man

Police received a call just after 5 pm local time over an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol” at the hotel where Liam Payne died, Pablo Policicchio, the communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, told the Associated Press.

The hotel manager told police that there was “a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol.”

“He’s destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please,” the manager said, according to call audio obtained by the Associated Press.

Katie Hawkinson17 October 2024 02:45

Watch: One Direction singer Liam Payne dies aged 31

One Direction singer Liam Payne dies aged 31
Katie Hawkinson17 October 2024 02:30

Paris Hilton pays tribute to Payne

Katie Hawkinson17 October 2024 02:15

Watch: Police attend scene at Buenos Aires hotel after Liam Payne falls from balcony

Liam Payne death: Police attend scene at Buenos Aires hotel

Police have cordoned off the scene at the Casa Sur Hotel, in Beunos Aires, Argentina, after a tragic accident involving former One Direction star Liam Payne. The singer died aged 31 on October 17, 2024. Pablo Policicchio, a spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, said in a statement to Associated Press that Payne “had thrown himself from the balcony of his room”, sustaining extremely serious injuries. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene around 5pm local time. Footage shows an ambulance parked outside the hotel while authorities cordon off the area in the Palermo neighborhood, as crowds continued to gather nearby.

Katie Hawkinson17 October 2024 02:00

Officials confirmed Liam Payne’s death ‘on the spot’, official reveals

Liam Payne suffered “extremely serious injuries” when he fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, local police told the Associated Press.

Medics confirmed his death on the spot, according to the AP.

Police were initially called to the hotel over reports of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” officials told the AP.

Katie Hawkinson17 October 2024 01:45

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in