Liam Payne Has Passed Away, Aged 31

The One Direction star reportedly died outside a hotel in Buenos Aires.
Published October 17, 2024
liam payne

(Image: Getty Images)

Former One Direction star, Liam Payne has died after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina, multiple sources have reported. The musician was only 31 years old.

Per the Sydney Morning Herald, local newspaper La Nacion reported that police were called to a hotel in Buenos Aires after receiving an emergency call about “an aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol.”

Citing officials, the newspaper added that ambulance workers later confirmed the death of Liam, who was found in an interior hotel patio. 

Eyewitnesses told TMZ  that Liam fell from his room on the third floor of the city’s CasaSur Palermo Hotel. The circumstances surrounding the fall are unclear and under investigation, according to multiple outlets.

one direction in 2013 featuring niall horan, zayn malik, louis tomlinson, liam payne and harry styles
Liam Payne with his One Direction bandmates in 2013 (Image: Getty Images)

Liam first shot to fame when he was only a teenager, after he was placed in boyband One Direction—alongside Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan—in the 2010 season of X Factor. It was the second time Liam had auditioned for the show and the band placed third. 

One Direction released their debut single, ‘What Makes You Beautiful,’ shortly after and all five members—who were teens at the time—were catapulted to international fame. They went on to become one of the best-selling boybands of all time. After the band announced an “indefinite hiatus” in 2016, Liam went on to launch a solo career.

Liam’s family is yet to release an official statement. He leaves behind his seven-year-old son, Bear, who he shares with former girlfriend, Cheryl Cole.

More to come.

ella sangster cosmopolitan australia digital editor
Ella Sangster
Ella Sangster is the Digital Editor of Cosmopolitan Australia. Ella has been a published writer since she was sixteen years old and has since worked for some of Australia’s most prestigious magazines including Harper’s BAZAAR, Esquire, ELLE, marie claire and T: The New York Times Style. When she’s not researching obscure British fashion designers, writing about TikTok trends or plugged into a pop culture podcast, you’ll find her searching for Sydney’s best beach (or beach bar).
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