Local police have now confirmed they were called to the hotel in the capital’s Palermo neighbourhood where they were notified of an “aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol”, Reuters reported.
“The hotel manager said he heard a loud noise at the back of the hotel, and when police arrived they found that a man had fallen over the balcony in his room,” the statement said.
Citing audio obtained from the Buenos Aires security ministry, Reuters reported that police received a call from an employee at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel “requesting urgent help with an intoxicated guest”.
“When he is conscious he is destroying the entire room and we need you to send someone,” the worker reportedly claimed, adding that the guest’s life was at risk because their room had a balcony, AAP reported.
Payne, 31, was confirmed dead on Wednesday after falling from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room just after 5pm (local time).
”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,” the police statement said, AFP reported.
Investigations into Payne’s death are understood to be ongoing.
Police and paramedics outside Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina on Wednesday, October 16. Photo / Getty Images
Photos of Payne’s body published to TMZhave since been removed by the media outlet. The site faced backlash for the “ghoulish and indefensible” images, with fans calling them “deplorable”.
Payne had been in the midst of a struggle with ex-partner Maya Henry, with Metro reporting this week he was facing legal action from the model, 23, who had “issued a cease and desist letter” after claiming he had been “ceaselessly contacting her, using different iCloud accounts to continue to reach out”. The couple broke up in 2022.
In 2023 Payne was rushed to hospital with severe kidney pain while visiting Lake Como in Italy. The incident came after he’d been forced to cancel the South American leg of his tour because of a “serious kidney infection”, which previously saw him hospitalised.
Payne shares a 7-year-old son, Bear Grey, with ex-partner Cheryl Cole.
“We still have so much love for each other as a family,” Cole announced on Twitter at the time of their split. “Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.”
Payne rose to international stardom with the boy band One Direction, who formed and placed third on the seventh series of The X Factor in 2010.
Niall Horan (from left), Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson of One Direction in New York City, 2013. Photo / Getty Images
The group, comprising Payne, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles, is one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.
Payne went public with how gruelling One Direction was, revealing he “hated” his life in the band. “We were definitely overworked,” he said. “I just lived so long as this reclusive pop star who was afraid of people, who just stayed inside all the time. I needed to stop.”
After the band’s dissolution, Payne embarked on a solo career and has sold more than 23 million singles and three million albums as a solo artist.
He had undertaken charity work in recent years, including raising millions with Soccer Aid, with Payne leading Team England in a 2022 charity match. Payne supported Unicef and fundraised for youth programmes in Wolverhampton.
Payne had been pursuing his solo career in recent years. Photo / @liampayne
In 2023 Payne admitted he was in “bad shape” the previous year, revealing he’d spent 100 days at a Louisiana-based wellness clinic. He had also been open about his mental health and revealed he found solace in art and poetry.
Payne had been public about struggling after the break up of One Direction. “I kind of went off the rails a little bit and just couldn’t really figure out what was making me sad,” he told GQ. Healso revealed struggling with substance abuse. “I hit a peak moment where I knew the drinking was going to get me; I needed to do something about it.”
