Tragic details have emerged following the death of Liam Payne aged 31, including the heartbreaking admission he made to a fellow hotel guest.
Payne rose to global fame after his appearance on The X Factor and as part of the popular boy band One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan.
The tragic news of the singer’s passing has now been followed by a preliminary autopsy that offers fans insight into the cause of his death.
And now, a fellow hotel guest has shared Payne’s heartbreaking confession.
News of his passing led to an outpouring of tributes.
Payne’s family shared their grief through his spokesperson: “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts, and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny, and brave soul.” They also requested privacy during this time.
Payne’s former One Direction bandmates released a joint statement, expressing their devastation and stating that they would take time to grieve the loss of their ‘brother.’
Reports from Buenos Aires suggest that Payne tragically fell from a hotel balcony at around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, as initially reported by TMZ.
Local sources indicated that Payne was in the city to attend a concert by his former bandmate, Niall Horan. Just an hour before the accident, Payne had shared his plans for the day on Snapchat, including playing polo, as reported by Sky News.
According to MailOnline, Payne’s final Snapchat post, just minutes before his death, was a mirror selfie of him and his girlfriend smiling together.
Payne’s close friend, Jodie Richards, shared her final messages with him, sent just hours before his death.
Richards, who had been Payne’s performing arts teacher in Wolverhampton, initially thought the news was a hoax, as they had been in contact earlier that week.
Upon hearing the tragic news, Richards tried calling and texting him, but after getting no response, she feared the worst.
She described his death as a ‘wicked waste of a life,’ remembering Payne as a ‘cheeky chappy’ who always made people laugh.
Alberto Crescenti, head of Argentina’s state emergency medical system, confirmed to Todo Noticias TV that Payne fell into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel.
A 911 call was made, and upon arrival, police heard a loud noise from the courtyard. A guest recalled to The Guardian: “I thought they were doing construction… it was loud, bizarre. Later I heard the sirens and a loud scream.”
The hotel staff had earlier contacted emergency services, expressing concern for Payne’s well-being, as noted by the Independent. “We need you to send us someone urgently because… well, we don’t know if the guest’s life is at risk… He is in a room that has a balcony.”
Inside Payne’s hotel room, police found it in disarray, with clonazepam, energy supplements, and other over-the-counter drugs scattered around. Broken items, a whiskey bottle, a lighter, and Payne’s phone were also found in the courtyard where he was discovered.
In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Payne had opened up about his struggles with fame, describing it as challenging, often leading to moments of burnout.
“It was a point where every day, you didn’t know whether it was going to be the end,” he said, adding that he was ‘slowly losing the plot.’
Crescenti stated that Payne fell approximately 40 meters, sustaining injuries that were “incompatible with life.”
Preliminary autopsy results indicated that Payne died from multiple traumas and internal bleeding, as reported by The Mirror.
Police had been called to the hotel earlier due to reports of an aggressive man, potentially under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Despite a rapid response, Payne was pronounced dead shortly after the 911 call at 5:01 p.m. local time.
And now, a fellow hotel guest has shared her experience with Payne in the lead-up to his tragic passing.
A woman who briefly encountered Payne shortly before his tragic death shared that the former One Direction star admitted to being deeply affected by his time in the boyband.
The fan, identified as Rebecca by The Mirror, recalled Payne’s behavior during their encounter, describing him as ‘desperate”‘ for recognition.
He introduced himself to guests in line for an elevator, saying, ‘I’m Liam,’ but was met with indifference.
Rebecca also mentioned that Payne returned to the lobby with his laptop, using its ‘accessibility setting’ to read his emails aloud, seemingly seeking attention.
She speculated that something in his emails upset him, as he suddenly exclaimed ‘F*** this s*** mate!’ and smashed his laptop on the floor, leaving onlookers shocked.
She was taken aback by his confession, and shortly after, a ‘British guy’ apologized on Payne’s behalf, explaining that he sometimes ‘gets so high.’
Rebecca noted that Payne appeared to be under the influence, although he wasn’t aggressive toward anyone.
In a further interview with MailOnline, Rebecca described how hotel staff were uneasy because he hadn’t checked out on time and his behavior was unusual.
While waiting by the elevator, he seemed eager for attention, and when the elevator arrived, he loudly invited everyone to join him, mentioning he loved ‘a cuddle.’
Rebecca declined, but some of her friends entered the elevator with him. During the ride, Liam made odd comments about Americans and pretended to choke a woman, which others found disturbing.
Rebecca continued describing the troubling behavior recounting how he swore a lot and took a laptop before re-entering the elevator.
Rebecca questioned the role of those around him, wondering if they had tried to help but failed.
Meanwhile, hotel staff appeared visibly nervous, with one likely calling security or the police.
Although Rebecca has never used c******, she felt that Liam’s erratic, unfocused, and aggressive behavior, along with his dilated pupils, resembled someone under the influence.
She claimed Payne re-entered the hotel, tripped, and fell flat on his face.
Hotel staff helped him back into the elevator, and she managed to take a photo showing part of his companion holding the lift door open.
Concerned, Rebecca asked if he was okay, to which Payne replied: “I used to be in a boyband. That’s why I’m so f***ed up.”
Authorities later revealed that Payne ‘jumped from the balcony’ of his hotel room, confirming that his fatal fall was intentional.
He is survived by his seven-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, his parents, and two sisters.