The entertainment world is in mourning following the sudden and devastating death of Liam Payne, the former member of the iconic boy band One Direction. The 31-year-old singer tragically fell from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur Hotel in Argentina’s capital city, suffering fatal injuries.
According to Argentine authorities, a preliminary autopsy report has revealed that Payne died from “multiple traumas” and “internal and external bleeding.” The investigation has also uncovered a disturbing revelation: Payne had a toxic cocktail of drugs in his system, including crack, cocaine, benzodiazepine, and a substance known as “pink cocaine,” which is a combination of methamphetamine, ketamine, and MDMA.
Payne’s father, Geoff Payne, has arrived in Buenos Aires to formally identify his son’s body and make arrangements for repatriating the remains to the UK. Geoff has vowed to remain in Argentina until the investigations are complete, stating that he is “totally heartbroken at losing his son” and is determined to “do right by Liam.”
Payne’s former One Direction bandmates, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik, have all expressed their devastation over the loss of their friend and colleague. In a joint statement, they described Payne as their “brother” and said they will “take some time to grieve and process the loss.”
The music industry as a whole has also mourned Payne’s passing, with Simon Cowell, the creator of the “X Factor” show that launched One Direction’s career, saying he feels “heartbroken” and “empty” over the tragedy.
Recent years have seen a thorough documentation of Payne’s personal struggles with addiction and mental health issues. In a 2023 interview, he had spoken about spending 100 days in rehabilitation and feeling like he had “a grip on life” after becoming sober. Tragically, it appears Payne’s demons ultimately caught up with him.