Liam Payne – former singer of boy band One Direction – died at the age of 31 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Argentina.
According to Reuters on the evening of October 16 local time (morning of October 17 Hanoi time), Liam Payne fell from a height of 13 to 14 meters, his injuries were “very serious, unable to be saved”. Before that, the emergency facility received a report of a man “behaving erratically, possibly under the influence of drugs”.
Before his death, the singer had been open about his battle with addiction and spent time in a rehabilitation facility. In 2023, the singer shared a YouTube video, revealing that he had been sober for six months, after spending nearly 100 days in a rehab facility in Louisiana (USA). He said he had more control over his life than before, spending time with himself and his family.
One Direction’s “Story of My Life” MV, Liam Payne appears at the eight-second mark. Video: YouTube One Direction
Payne attended a concert by former bandmate Niall Horan in Buenos Aires in early October. On October 16, the artist posted on Snapchat about his trip to Argentina, talking about horseback riding, playing polo and looking forward to returning home to see his dog. “Today was a great day in Argentina,” he said in the video.
When One Direction disbanded in 2015, Payne embarked on a solo career, releasing the song Strip That Down in 2017 and the album LP1 (2019). In March, Payne released the song Teardrops . He had a son named Bear with Girls Aloud singer Cheryl in 2017. They split a year later. Payne began dating model Maya Henry in 2019, and became engaged in August 2020.
British singer Liam Payne. Photo: Universal Music
Receiving the sad news, a representative of the music channel MTV wrote on X : “In this difficult time, our hearts go out to Liam Payne’s family, loved ones and fans.”
Many viewers sent condolences to the artist. One account wrote: “I was listening to One Direction this morning. Please tell me it’s a joke.” Another commented: “Rest in peace Liam, you didn’t deserve this.”
One Direction’s 2011 music video “What Makes You Beautiful” features Liam Payne appearing at the 12-second mark. Video: YouTube One Direction
In 2010, Liam Payne rose to international fame as a member of the pop group One Direction , alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson. The group formed after finishing third on the UK version of X Factor in 2010, but disbanded in 2016 as the members pursued solo careers and projects.
Entertainment Weekly once ranked One Direction as the third greatest boy band of all time. According to Celebrity Net Worth , singer Payne earned an estimated $70 million from being in One Direction and going solo.
