Former One Direction Member Liam Payne Dies at 31 in Tragic Fall in Buenos Aires

Former One Direction member Liam Payne has tragically died at the age of 31 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, police have confirmed. The incident took place on Wednesday at a hotel located on Costa Rica Street in the Palermo neighborhood, according to a statement provided to CNN by local authorities.

Police from the 14B Police Station responded to a 911 call that afternoon reporting an aggressive man, potentially under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The statement did not explicitly name Payne as the individual in question.

Payne was recently seen attending former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert in Argentina on October 2, as shown in videos posted to social media. He had also celebrated his 31st birthday in the UK, according to posts shared on his Snapchat. Payne, originally from Wolverhampton, West Midlands, was the youngest of three siblings and studied music technology at the City of Wolverhampton College.

Best known for his time with the global sensation One Direction, Payne was part of the band alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Horan. The group was formed in 2010 on the UK’s reality competition show "The X Factor."

CNN has reached out to representatives for Payne and his former One Direction bandmates for comments.

In a 2015 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Payne expressed his passion for performing and songwriting with the group, noting his pride in co-writing the song "What a Feeling" with bandmate Louis Tomlinson. He shared how the song’s Fleetwood Mac-inspired sound made it a memorable "driving jam."

One Direction went on hiatus in 2015, and Payne launched a solo career, releasing his debut album “LP1” in 2019. In May 2023, he announced he was working on a new album and was excited about an upcoming tour. However, the tour, scheduled to begin in South America in September 2023, was postponed due to a kidney infection.

Payne had been candid about his struggles with substance abuse, sharing that he had completed treatment and celebrated six months of sobriety in mid-2023.

Payne was also a father to a son, Bear, born in 2017, whom he shared with Cheryl Cole, former member of the group Girls Aloud. In a 2023 YouTube video, Payne expressed his deep love for his son, saying, "He’s awesome. He’s growing up far too quickly... He’s far smarter than I think I’ll ever be."