The world was left in shock on Wednesday evening when Reuters reported the death of former One Direction member and singer Liam Payne. The 31-year-old fell from a third-floor balcony of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to the report.
According to TMZ, witnesses claim that Payne had been “acting erratic” earlier that day and smashed his laptop in the hotel’s lobby. He was later carried back to his room, the report alleges. It is still unclear whether the fall was intentional, and further details surrounding the circumstances of his death have not been released.
The news comes after weeks of controversy for the Teardrops singer. Earlier this month, Payne’s ex-fiancée Maya Henry took to TikTok to discuss the toxic behaviors she claims he displayed during their three-year relationship. On October 14, Daily Mail reported that Henry was taking legal action against Payne, issuing a cease and desist letter to him after he allegedly attempted to contact her and her family multiple times.
While the star spent his last few weeks embroiled in controversy, he was once a beloved pop icon and part of the most successful boy band of the 2010s.
Born on August 29, 1993 in Wolverhampton, England, Payne was long-set on pursuing a career in entertainment. In 2008, at just 14 years old, Payne auditioned for the British singing competition, The X-Factor. He made it through several rounds, though he was ultimately sent home mid-season. In 2010, Payne re-auditioned for the show, capturing the judges’ favor once again with a cover of Julie London’s Cry Me a River.
Later on in the season, Payne was eliminated, but almost immediately called back by the judges. Along with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson, Payne was selected to compete as part of a new boy band, who would later name themselves One Direction. The group placed third in the competition, but were very quickly gaining success outside of the show. Through weekly video diaries posted to YouTube and charming performances week after week, it was clear that the 1D boys had won the hearts of many young fans across the UK.
After The X Factor ended, the group signed with Simon Cowell’s record label Syco Records. On September 11, 2011, One Direction released their debut single “What Makes You Beautiful” to incredible success. The track introduced One Direction to an international audience, peaking at No. 4 on the Hot 100 chart. The group would soon become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, selling over 70 million records. The group released 5 studio albums and went on four world tours before going on an indefinite hiatus in 2016, much to fans’ dismay.
In the years following One Direction, Payne attempted to carve his own path. In 2017, he released his debut single “Strip That Down ft. Quavo” which received over 1 billion streams on Spotify. In December of 2019, Payne released his only solo album, LP 1, to a largely negative critical reception. After a lull in production, it seemed Payne was due to release a new album this year, dropping his single Teardrops in March.
In 2021, Payne spoke candidly about his struggles with mental health and addiction during his time in One Direction. “I was worried how far my rock bottom was going to be,” he shared on an episode of the Diary of a CEO podcast. “And you would never have seen it. I’m very good at hiding it,” he continued.
Fans are speculating that Payne’s mental health issues may be connected to the singer’s sudden death. According to PageSix, an insider told the publication that Payne “had been cycling through periods of ruinous behavior for a long time.”
As fans await more details, they have taken to social media to express their shock. For many who grew up during the One Direction era, losing Payne feels like losing a pivotal figure from their childhood.
Liam Payne is survived by his son, Bear, whom he shares with Cheryl Cole, his parents Karen and Geoff Payne, and his sisters Nicola and Ruth Payne.
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