UPDATE 10/17/24 1:13 p.m EST
Despite reports to the contrary, authorities in Buenos Aires cannot confirm Liam Payne jumped from his hotel room balcony before his death.
Police sources confirmed to Us Weekly that all that is known is that Payne “fell,” but “it is not known whether he jumped” or if was an accidental fall from the third floor of CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Argentina on Wednesday, October 16.
Police arrived at the scene after receiving an emergency phone call after 5 p.m. local time. There was a warning of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” the Communications Director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry told the Associated Press.
Payne was 31. The former One Direction member’s preliminary autopsy revealed that he died from multiple injuries involving “internal and external hemorrhage,” per documents obtained by Us. A toxicology report is pending.
Medical professionals arrived on site at the hotel but Payne’s injuries were too severe for treatment, per Buenos Aires emergency services chief Alberto Crescent.
“Our role was to head there quickly, give medical attention, and try to resuscitate him, but his injuries were incompatible with life,” Crescenti said in a statement, per local Buenos Aires outlet La Nacion. “Based on what the team saw, there was apparently a cranial fracture and extremely serious injuries that led to his immediate death.”
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After news broke of Payne’s death, details from the 911 call were released. According to a translated transcript obtained by BBC, the hotel’s chief receptionist claimed that a guest had taken “too many drugs and alcohol.” Payne, who had been candid about his struggles with addiction over the years, shared in 2023 that he was 100 days sober.
The line then cut out before the caller dialed the hotline again requesting backup as the staff was worried about the guest’s safety.
“I don’t know whether his life may be in danger, the guest’s life,” the transcript read. “He is in a room with a balcony and well, we’re a little afraid that he … He’s been here for two or three days.”
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Payne was in Argentina with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, visiting Buenos Aires.
Following his death, fans of the singer held a vigil outside the hotel. Many gather to mourn Payne and sing One Direction songs in his honor. Police, who were still investigating the scene at the time, closed off the road leading to the hotel to prevent incoming traffic and sealed off the hotel entrance.
Payne is survived by his parents, his two older sisters and his 7-year-old son Bear, whom he shared with ex Cheryl Cole.
