Yoopya with Reuters
BUENOS AIRES, Oct 16 (Reuters) – Former One Direction singer Liam Payne died outside a hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, local police confirmed on Wednesday, saying the 31-year-old British musician was found dead after falling from his third floor hotel room balcony.
In a statement, the capital police said they were called to the hotel in the capital’s leafy Palermo neighborhood where they were notified of an “aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol.”
Emergency workers confirmed the death of the singer, who was reportedly found in the hotel’s interior patio.
“Our hearts are absolutely broken and we wish much light and strength for his family and loved ones,” MTV’s Latin American branch wrote in a post on social media platform X.
Payne rose to global fame as part of the since-disbanded pop band One Direction, alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson.
The boy band got its start after finishing third on the British version of the X Factor music competition show in 2010, but the group broke up in 2016 as its members pursued different projects including solo careers.
Local news outlet Todo Noticias TV interviewed Hernan Palazzo, who works near the hotel in the Palermo neighborhood, who said “The neighborhood is very shaken up … There’s a lot of police, some fans arriving. It is very sad.”
Payne had earlier this month attended the concert of his former bandmate Niall Horan in Buenos Aires. The musician has been open in the media about struggling with addiction and spending time in a rehabilitation facility.
Earlier on Wednesday, Payne had appeared to post on Snapchat about his trip in Argentina, talking about riding horses, playing polo, and looking forward to returning home to see his dog.
“It’s a lovely day here in Argentina,” he said in the video.
Reporting by Brendan O’Boyle, Sarah Morland, Eliana Raszewski, Anthony Esposito and Adam Jourdan; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Chris Reese