The 31-year-old British musician was found dead after falling from the hotel’s third floor, emergency services said.
“Liam James Payne, composer and guitarist, former member of the band One Direction, died today after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Palermo,” Buenos Aires police said in a statement.
Buenos Aires police said in a statement that Payne fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighbourhood of Argentina’s capital, resulting in “extremely serious injuries.” Medics confirmed his death on the spot, the statement said.
Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, said on Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel that authorities were investigating the circumstances of his death and conducting an autopsy. He declined to answer further questions about the incident, including whether Payne jumped from the balcony or fell by accident.
Liam Payne (centre) during a performance with One Direction
Ambulance workers later confirmed the death of the singer, who was found in an interior hotel patio, according to the news reports.
Liam was found at 5:04pm local time and an ambulance arrived seven minutes later at 5:11pm. It has been reported that local health officials said Mr Payne fell close to 40m and his injuries were “incompatible with life”.
Police were called to the hotel where Mr Payne was found dead after receiving reports of a man acting “erratically”.
Liam and his partner Kate Cassidy had travelled to Argentina to attend a show of former bandmate Niall Horan on Oct 2. He was seen dancing at his show two weeks ago at the Movistar Arena alongside his girlfriend.
One Direction became one of the biggest pop groups in the world with five albums and four world tours after being put together by Simon Cowell on the X-Factor in 2010. Payne rose to fame after appearing on the X Factor in 2010 when the group was formed.
Liam Payne
The group, whose members included Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik, were one of the best selling boy bands of all time, with hits including “What Makes You Beautiful”. They broke up in 2016.
First responders arrive at the hotel where Liam Payne, former One Direction member, was found dead, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 16, 2024. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
The band went on indefinite hiatus after Zayn Malik announced his departure in 2015.
Payne released his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019 which included the singles Polaroid and Familiar.
First responders work outside the hotel where Liam Payne, former One Direction member, was found dead, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 16, 2024. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian.
Wolverhampton-born Payne dated former Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole after the band broke up and they had a son born named Bear in 2017, but he had been in a relationship with influencer Kate Cassidy since 2022.
The pair had travelled to Argentina to attend a show of former bandmate Niall Horan on Oct 2.
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.”
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.
In August, Payne was announced as a judge on a new Netflix show alongside former Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland and The Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger.
The stars were to judge attempts to create a band, looking at the contestants’ chemistry as they formed groupings in the musical competition series.
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Irish pop stars Jedward said they were “sending strength to Cheryl and his son Bear and all the One direction Family. RIP@LiamPayne,” Jedward said.