An LED television with a dent in its screen inside Liam Payne’s hotel room.
An LED television with a dent in its screen inside Liam Payne’s hotel room.
Warning: distressing images.
Harrowing images allegedly showing alcohol and drugs in Liam Payne’s trashed hotel room in Argentina have emerged, along with what’s believed to be a picture of his last sighting, after he tragically fell to his death from the balcony.
The pictures, which have been verified by local media outlet, La Nacion, reportedly show a half-empty wine glass, foil, powder, a Dove soap packet, and the remains of a burned candle and the burned top of a drink can scattered around the room.
A smashed-up television also features in one of the images, while wax and burned foil can be seen in the bathtub.
La Nacion reports that authorities are now testing the powder to confirm suspicions that it could be cocaine.
Images of what appear to show drugs and alcohol were taken inside the singer’s hotel room.
An LED television with a dent in its screen inside Liam Payne’s hotel room.
Inside the hotel room’s bathtub, remains of wax and crumpled and burned aluminium foil can be seen.
Payne may have been unconscious when he fell
The Strip That Down singer, 31, died instantly from multiple injuries sustained in his fall that led to “internal and external haemorrhaging”, preliminary autopsy results have shown.
Two forensic pathologists reached the conclusions during a post-mortem on Thursday in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office No. 16 reported on Thursday, “it is presumed that Payne did not adopt a reflex posture to protect himself” and “he could have fallen while in a state of semi or total unconsciousness”.
It also said all indications show Payne was alone when he fell and the singer had been “going through some kind of outbreak due to substance abuse” at the time, according to an official statement from the office translated from Spanish.
The report noted officials have questioned three hotel workers and two women who had been in the singer’s room in the hours before his death “but had already left the hotel when the incident occurred”.
Officials said “the investigation is also aimed at determining the possible intervention of third parties in the events prior to the death of the victim”, according to the report.
Further tests are now taking place to see if the singer had consumed drugs and alcohol which could have played a contributing factor in his tragic death. A toxicology report is still pending.
Argentinian officials had received an emergency call on Wednesday afternoon regarding an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”, according to Pablo Policicchio, communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry.
Meanwhile, an image seemingly showing Payne returning to his hotel room in Buenos Aires emerged on local network America TV on Thursday – in what’s now believed to be the final sighting of the One Direction star before his death.
According to La Nacion, sources close to the investigation also claimed that Payne’s body was found alongside “a bottle of whiskey, a lighter and a cellphone”.
Several blister packets of medication, including Clonazepam (commonly used to prevent and treat anxiety disorders, seizures, bipolar mania and agitation), other over-the-counter remedies and energy drinks were also found by police.
Verification of the harrowing pictures came as Argentinian officials vowed to hunt down the drug dealer who provided Payne with the illicit substances found inside his room, the outlet reported.
Payne is said to have died instantly from the fall. Photo / Getty Images
Early fame
Payne had his first taste of fame in 2008 when he appeared on The X Factor UK as a 14-year-old.
“When I’m at school, in general, I think about singing all the time,” Payne told producers before his audition.
“I should really be concentrating on my work, but I just think about singing too much. It’s a dream and I’d love to do it.”
However, while he impressed the judges in the early stages, he was ultimately eliminated by Simon Cowell as the competition progressed.
The band became a global sensation. Photo / Getty Images
They went on to become one of the biggest pop groups in the world, releasing five albums, embarking on four world tours, and starring in a film.
Five years later, Zayn Malik’s departure from the group marked the beginning of the end, with the band announcing an indefinite hiatus in 2016.
“It was a little bit dark and twisted towards the end of it,” Payne told the Guardian in 2019 of the band’s split.
“But the last few shows were really beautiful moments because the pressure cooker had been let off. It was almost like counting down to holiday … we were going to wake up that Monday morning with no schedule.”
Things became tough for Payne, who decided to undergo therapy for more than two years after the band split.
“It was difficult at the start, because I didn’t really know anything about myself. It was a bit of a numb feeling.”
Payne later revealed he had struggled with addiction and mental health issues during his time in One Direction and in the years that followed.
He had checked himself into rehab for alcohol abuse at least twice.
During a 2021 appearance on The Diary of a CEO podcast, he spoke openly about hitting “rock bottom”.
“I was worried how far my rock bottom was going to be. Where’s rock bottom for me? And you would never have seen it. I’m very good at hiding it. No one would ever have seen it,” Payne admitted.
“We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
The Sun reports that his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, were seen leaving home “in a hurry” around midnight on Wednesday, as news of the 31-year-old’s death began to spread.
A family member who answered the door told reporters at the time: “We’re obviously devastated at the news but we don’t want to comment.”
