Former One Direction member Liam Payne died Wednesday, October 16, at age 31. The finality of his life has now been put under the lens as it has yet to be revealed if his tragic death was an accident or suicide.
The “Strip That Down” soloist reportedly fell from the balcony of his hotel room on the third floor at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Bueno Aires, Argentina.
TMZ, the US media outlet often characterised for its sensation clicks to drive traffic, reported the news while also ethically pushing the boundaries with this particular exclusive, having shared unexpected pictures of Payne’s lifeless body from the scene. While that row has a separate conversation reserved for itself, the outlet noticeably informed its readers that Liam had “been acting erratic” shortly before he died. His actions drew conspicuous attention moments before his tragic fall as he purportedly smashed his laptop in the lobby and eventually had to be carried to his room.
As also reported by Marca.com, The Express Tribune and multiple other outlets, alleged photos of Payne’s deluxe suite surfaced online. In the aftermath of the singer’s passing, they paint a picture rife with chaos and disorder. The supposed scene from the singer’s room reveals a shattered TV, a powdery substance believed to be a drug, and a glimpse at numerous other items, including candles, aluminium foil, a Dove soap container, a burnt soda can top, a lighter and more scattered around the room. The images have seemingly been sourced from local Argentinian media. Their authenticity has yet to be verified. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop social media from spreading the word, resulting in another viral topic of discussion.
According to Reuters, the police were notified of an “aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol.”
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Liam Payne’s now-deleted SNS update showed happy times with girlfriend
Conflicting with these reported descriptions, Payne also took to his Snapchat Story prior to his death. Although now deleted, one of his posts suggested that he was having a “lovely day” during his time off with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy. However, the footage appeared to be an old entry as the 25-year-old influencer flew back to Florida earlier this week while Liam stayed behind. The One Direction alum’s Argentina trip took off earlier this month as he showed up in the country to support his bandmate Niall Horan, who was performing there.
It looked like they had a lot to get off their chest and sort out, as the “Get Low” crooner explained on his Instagram before the show, “It’s been a while since me and Niall have spoken. We’ve got a lot to talk about and I would like to square up a couple things with the boy. No bad vibes or nothing like that but we just need to talk.”
Source claims the One Direction alum was not okay in the years leading up to his recent death
Akin to the purported description of an “erratic” Liam in his final hours, a source exclusively backed the problematic vision, saying that he had actually been “cycling through periods of ruinous behaviour for a long time.”
The music star had avidly been open about his mental health, addiction and sobriety struggles years before he died in 2024. He previously opened up about hitting “rock bottom” during his One Direction days as he discussed alcoholism during his appearance on The Diary of a CEO podcast. He even detailed his experience with “suicidal ideation.”
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“The problem was… the best way to secure us, because of how big it got, was to lock us in a room. And, of course, what is in the room? A minibar,” he mentioned at one point during the interaction. “At a certain point, I just thought, ‘Well, I’m going to have a party for one,’ and that just seemed to carry on throughout many years of my life.”
The struggles he faced as a teen ultimately ballooned up into a severe issue at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, which he described as “the worst thing in the world” for him, as he admitted that his drinking issues worsened.
Per the latest report following Payne’s death, the source admitted that while the singer had “open about his struggles” he “tried to downplay them at times. His demons were much worse than he let on.”
In July 2023, it was revealed that the One Direction member had secretly taken off for rehab for 100 days to “get well.” The news followed his very public beef with his bandmates. “I kind of became somebody who I didn’t recognise and I’m sure you didn’t either,” he said in a video posted on his YouTube channel.
Payne leaves behind his 7-year-old son, Bear, with ex-partner Cheryl Cole. He was also entangled in legal woes with his ex-fiancee, Maya Henry.
