Liam Payne, a former member of the popular boy band One Direction, has died.
According to Argentina state police, the 31-year-old died after falling from the third floor of his Palermo hotel room.
The Argentinian prosecutor’s office has confirmed that the cause of death was multiple traumas, internal and external bleeding, and a fractured skull that occurred as a result of the fall.
With that being said, it is not yet clear whether the fall was an accident or intentional, and the prosecutors are treating the case as a “suspicious death” due to evidence collected on the scene that indicated Liam was going through “some kind of substance abuse outbreak” at the time of his death.
Several witnesses did tell TMZ that Liam was acting erratic in the hotel lobby prior to his death; allegedly he smashed his laptop and then had to be carried back to his room.
Furthermore, local publication La Nacion has reported that police were already at the hotel before Liam’s death as they were responding to an emergency call that cited “an aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol.”
Born on August 29, 1993, Liam first rose to fame in 2010 when he competed on The X Factor in the UK.
After failing to qualify as a solo performer, he was grouped with four other contestants – Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik – to form One Direction under the mentorship of Simon Cowell.
One Direction quickly became one of the world’s best-selling boy bands, with global hits like What Makes You Beautiful and record-smashing albums such as Up All Night and Midnight Memories.
After the band broke up in 2015, Liam embarked on a solo career, releasing his debut single Strip That Down featuring Quavo in 2017.
And in 2019, he released his debut solo album LP1.
Liam is survived by his 7-year-old son Bear Grey Payne, whom Liam shared with his ex-partner Cheryl Cole.
Paris Hilton was one of the first of Liam’s friends to pay her respects online.
Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), she wrote:
“So upsetting to hear the news of @LiamPayne passing. Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. RIP my friend.”
Read all of the tributes made in honour of Liam – including the emotional statement former One Direction members Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson released – here.