Liam Payne, a former member of the hit band One Direction, has died aged 31 in an incident in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Payne is said to have fallen from his third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Hotel in the Palermo district. According to authorities, it is not yet known whether Payne's death was an accident, a crime or suicide.

Local emergency services confirmed his death, leaving fans and fellow artists in shock.

One Direction, which disbanded in 2015, had 29 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and had sold more than 70 million records worldwide as of 2020, making them one of the best-selling “boy bands” in history.

Who were Liam Payne and One Direction?

The youngest of three siblings, Payne was born in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands in the United Kingdom. He studied music technology at City of Wolverhampton College, laying the foundation for his future career in the music industry.

At the age of 14, Payne made his debut on the UK reality music competition TV show The X Factor in 2008, but did not make it past the initial stages. Undeterred, he returned two years later and delivered a powerful rendition of “Cry Me A River” that won over the judges.

One Direction was formed on the X Factor show in July 2010 and was brought together by one of the judges, Simon Cowell, who later became famous as a ruthlessly critical judge on the TV reality show American Idol.

All group members had initially auditioned for The X Factor as solo artists, with the group consisting of Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.

Their successes cemented their position as one of the most commercially successful boy bands in music history, known for hits such as “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Story of My Life”.

The band's debut album, Up All Night, released in 2011, made history by becoming the first album by a UK-based group to reach number one on the US Billboard 200. 500,000 digital copies were sold in the first week.

In 2013, they released their third album, Midnight Memories, which became one of their most successful albums, selling 4 million copies in less than two months. Their “Where We Are” tour in 2014 was one of the highest-grossing tours by a vocal group, grossing $290 million.

After announcing an indefinite hiatus in 2015, the members of One Direction have since focused primarily on developing individual solo careers.

Payne released his debut solo single “Strip That Down” with US rapper Quavo in 2017. His debut solo album LPI, released in December 2019, reached number 17 on the UK Albums Chart.

Payne has a seven-year-old son named Bear Gray Payne with his former British girlfriend Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, who goes by the musical name Cheryl. Fernandez-Versini, 41, first met Payne in 2008 when he auditioned for The X Factor. At the time, Cheryl was a judge alongside Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh.

Fernandez-Versini was also an X Factor judge during One Direction's appearance on the show in 2010.

After her split from her ex-husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini, Cheryl got back together with Payne in 2016. They welcomed their son Bear Gray Payne in 2017, but separated the following year.

Payne had been open about his battle with alcohol addiction. In a July 2023 video, he shared his progress and explained that he had remained sober for six months after a period of rehabilitation.

In March 2024, Payne released his final single “Tearsdrop”, collaborating with Jamie Scott and JC Chasez of N*SYNC. On TikTok, he shared footage of some of the emotional moments during the development of Tearsdrop.

Hours before his death, Payne posted a Snapchat video of himself having breakfast with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy. He begins the video by saying, “Good morning everyone, beautiful day here in Argentina.” He chats lightly with Cassidy, smiling at times as he talks about horseback riding, playing polo and returning home to his dog Stan. He concludes the video with: “So it’s going to be a beautiful day.”

Liam Payne had posted photos of himself with his partner Kate Cassidy on Snapchat in the hours before his death, as well as videos in which he said it had been a “beautiful day here in Argentina”.

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Last month, Netflix announced that it had signed Payne as a judge on its new reality TV competition, “Building the Band.” Additional judges include Destiny's Child alum Kelly Rowland, Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger and Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean as moderator.

Payne is survived by his parents Geoff and Karen Payne and his two older sisters Ruth and Nicola.

Why did he go to Argentina?

Payne traveled to Buenos Aires in late September to support his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan at a concert that was part of his “The Show Live On Tour” tour and which saw the release of his third studio album “The Show” in June 2023 .

This visit came after Payne's appearance at Horan's show at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires on October 2, where he watched the performance with fans in attendance.

How did Payne die?

According to local authorities, Payne fell from the third floor balcony of the CasaSur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

According to a recording of a 911 call to police obtained by The Associated Press, the manager of the CasaSur Hotel told police that there was “a guest high on drugs and alcohol.”

Referring to Payne's hotel room, the manager said, “He's destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please.”

On Wednesday, Alberto Crescenti, head of Buenos Aires' emergency services, told Argentine news channel Todo Noticias: “At 5:04 p.m. we were informed via the emergency number 911 about a person who was in the courtyard of the CasaSur Hotel.” At 5:04 p.m.: A team arrived at 11am and confirmed the man’s death.”

Payne was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

“There was no possibility of resuscitation” as the singer suffered “very serious injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall,” Crescenti told Todo Noticias News.

Officials will conduct an autopsy and begin an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Payne's death. It is still unclear whether it was an accident or suicide.

What was the general reaction?

Celebrities and musicians from around the world have paid tribute to the former One Direction member.

Television channel MTV issued a statement on its X account: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of Liam Payne today. Our hearts remain with his family, loved ones and fans during this difficult time.”

The mother of Harry Styles, his former One Direction bandmate who has since gone on to establish his own singing and film career, posted a heartbroken picture on Instagram after learning the news of Payne's death.

Ant Middleton, a former Special Forces soldier who made a documentary with Payne in 2019 called “Ant Middleton & Liam Payne: Straight Talking,” in which the pair traveled through Namibia together, said he was shocked by the news.

Middleton told Australia's The Morning Show: “After we filmed 'Straight Talking' with Middleton, he was my first celebrity guest and we now formed the Brotherhood. He was like a younger brother to me.”

Flavor Flav from US rap group Public Enemy expressed his condolences on his

Celebrities such as Paris Hilton, the American heiress, also expressed their sadness. Media groups such as Spotify and IHeartRadio also posted reactions on their X accounts, expressing support for Payne's family and friends.

Bridget Phillipson, UK Education Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities, told Sky News on Thursday morning: “It's very sad news, it's no age for someone to lose their life and my thoughts are with his friends and family.” “Must be a…” total shock to them and very, very disturbing.”

Fans gathered outside the CasaSur Hotel in Buenos Aires to mourn Payne's death, lighting candles and singing One Direction songs.