Hundreds of fans gathered outside of the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires last week as news broke that One Direction’s Liam Payne had fallen to his death outside.
As tributes poured in from around the world, reports emerged that the 31-year-old British popstar fell from the third floor of the hotel in Argentina. At this current moment, it is unknown if the fall was intentional or not.
Several witnesses at the hotel, where Liam was staying during a holiday with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, said Liam fell from his balcony shortly after 5pm on 16 October.
Police had initially been called to the hotel to respond to an aggressive man, possibly under the influence of drugs and alcohol. It was later reported that the star was acting erratically in the lobby, had smashed his laptop and had to be carried back to his room.
The day before his tragic death, on Snapchat, the Strip That Down singer had shared his excitement about being on holiday in South America, where he planned to ride horses and play polo. He had also been to see his former 1D bandmate Niall Horan, 31, perform in Buenos Aires on 2 October.
Born in Wolverhampton in 1993, Liam was just 14 when he first auditioned for The X Factor UK. Although judges eliminated him at the first boot camp, judge Simon Cowell, 65, encouraged him to come back in two years – which he did.
In 2010, Simon put Liam into a boy group named One Direction with Niall, Harry Styles, 30, Louis Tomlinson, 32, and Zayn Malik, 31. The band won third place on The X Factor and went on to become a global sensation. They released songs such as What Makes You Beautiful and Live While We’re Young.
The young stars quickly became teen idols, often sparking widespread hysteria among fans. They became one of the most popular boy bands of all time, selling around 70 million records worldwide
Sadly, Liam struggled with the group’s rapid rise to fame, admitting he “hated” his life in One Direction. “I just wanted a burger with my parents,” he recalled of the band’s heyday. “I cried my eyes out. Often, I thought, ‘I can’t do this!’”
In 2015, Zayn shockingly quit the band, which ultimately split the group. All of the members of 1D went on to pursue solo careers, with Liam putting out the album LP1 in 2019. He has also released collaborations with Rita Ora, Dixie D’Amelio and French Montana.
Liam went on to find love with Girls Aloud singer Cheryl, 41. She was one of the judges on The X Factor when he first auditioned. The couple had a son, Bear, who is now seven. Although the pair split in 2018, Liam loved being a dad.
“I see him two times a week, three times a week sometimes,” he recently said. “And I make sure when I see him, he has 100% of my time. He needs his dad in his life and I’m happy he looks at me like a superhero. I’m hoping to keep it that way.”
In June 2021, Liam revealed he’d turned to drugs and alcohol after One Direction disbanded.
“I was worried how far my rock bottom was going to be,” he confessed. “You would never have seen it. I’m very good at hiding it. No one would ever have seen it. It was really, really, really severe. It was a problem.”
Liam spent 100 days in a rehab facility in Louisiana and claimed to have “fixed” himself. However, he continued to battle ill health. Last year, a serious kidney infection forced him to cancel the South American leg of his tour. An ambulance later rushed him to hospital with severe kidney pain while visiting Lake Como in Italy.
Despite his comments that the members of One Direction “didn’t get on at all” during their time in the spotlight, fans began speculating that a reunion was on the cards after Liam revealed in May 2023 that they had all “started a new group chat”, and that Niall and Louis were also helping him record his album in LA.
But in recent months, the performer made more headlines after his former fiancée, model Maya Henry, 23, launched legal proceedings against him. She accused him of obsessive contact and “weaponising” his fans against her.
Help is here
If you’re struggling with your mental health, text or call 1737 at any time to speak to a trained counsellor for free.
For the Suicide Crisis Helpline, dial 0508 TAUTOKO.
For help with alcohol or drugs, phone 0800 787 797 or visit alcoholdrughelp.org.nz.
In an emergency, always call 111.
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