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Liam Payne's troubled life and addiction battles after One Direction split
Liam Payne, 31, fell 14 metres from a balcony in Argentina on Wednesday afternoon.
One Direction star Liam Payne has died after falling from his hotel balcony in Argentina, where he was attending Niall Horan’s recent tour.
The singer, 31, fell from a third-floor balcony on Wednesday afternoon, with police being called and reportedly finding Liam dead, TMZ reported.
Liam Payne's cause of death
Authorities have released a statement about Liam's cause of death, with Alberto Crescenti, head of the Buenos Aires’ public emergency medical services saying Liam fell around '14 metres', suffering 'very serious injuries incompatible with life'.
“At 17:04, through 911, the integrated public security system, we were alerted about a person who was in an internal courtyard of the Casa Sur hotel. At 17:11, a team arrived and confirmed the man’s death,” he said. “We later learned that he was a singer in a musical group. Unfortunately, he had injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall, so we had to confirm his death. There was no possibility of resuscitation."
Pablo Policicchio, the spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, said in a statement to The Associated Press that Payne police were dispatched to the hotel in response to an emergency call about an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.” Arriving police heard a thud and found Payne's body in the hotel courtyard, Policicchio said.
Liam Payne's rise to fame with One Direction
Liam rose to fame through the boy band One Direction after the group was formed on The X-Factor in 2010 with the band going on an indefinite hiatus in 2016. Liam continued on with his solo career after the group disbanded and released one studio album, with his first solo single 'Strip That Down' being an international commercial success.
The Sun revealed last week that Liam had parted ways with his management and had postponed plans for a second solo album.
Liam Payne's health issues
Liam had spoken openly in the past about his struggles with alcohol addiction, telling The Diary of a CEO podcast host Steven Bartlett in 2021 that his struggles were "really, really severe".
"The day the band ended, I was like, 'Thank the Lord,'" he said. "I know a lot of people are going to be mad at me for saying that, but I needed to stop or it would kill me."
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In 2023, the star said he was six months sober after spending 100 days in a rehab facility in Louisiana.
"I just kind of feel like I've got more of a grip on life and everything that was getting away from me, I just feel like I've got more of a handle on it," Liam said. "I just needed to take a little bit of time out for myself, because I kind of became somebody who I didn't really recognise anymore. I was in bad shape up until that point and I was really happy to kind of put a stopper to life and work."
Liam's troubled past with One Direction and Logan Paul interview controversy
In an interview with Logan Paul's 'Impaulsive' podcast in 2022, Liam caused controversy when he opened up about his time in One Direction, holding nothing back and saying he almost "came to blows" with another bandmate at one stage.
“There was one moment where there was an argument backstage and one member, in particular, threw me up a wall. So I said to him, ‘If you don’t remove those hands there’s a high likelihood you’ll never use them again'," Liam detailed. He went on to say there were "many reasons" why he disliked former band member Zayn Malik, before back-pedalling and saying, “There are many reasons why I’ll always, always be on his side."
Liam was mercilessly trolled over the interview, especially after making a comment about the fact One Direction was "created around him" back in 2010 and that he was always intended to be the frontman of the band.
Liam also confessed he and Louis Tomlinson originally "hated each other" before saying the two were best of friends. Liam then went on to discuss his solo career in comparison to the other ex-members, claiming his debut solo single, 'Strip That Down,' “outsold everybody within the band", something fans later debunked by showing that Harry Styles' 'Watermelon Sugar' had topped the song by over a billion streams.
In 2023, after his stint in rehab, Liam spoke about the interview saying a lot of what he shared about the band had come from the "wrong place".
“A lot of what I said came from the wrong place. I was so angry at what was going on around me and instead of taking a look inwards I decided to look outwards at everybody else," he shared on his YouTube channel. “The rest of the boys really stuck by me when I needed them most, they kinda came to the rescue. Even Zayn, as well, which is why I did send him a little thank you online. It came across really big-headed didn’t it?”
Liam went on to say it was a "scramble to stay relevant" and while he regretted the comment's he made on the podcast, it was a "life-changing moment, that saved my life in a way."
Liam reunites with One Direction's Niall Horan
Before his death, Liam had recently watched former bandmate Niall Horan perform on October 2 alongside his girlfriend of two years, Kate Cassidy. He posted a video on Snapchat saying he was attending the concert as he wanted to “square up a couple of things” with the Irish singer.
“I think we might just go and say hello,” he said, “It’s been a while since me and Niall have spoken. We’ve got a lot to talk about. And I would like to square up a couple of things with the boy. No bad vibes or anything like that. But just, um, we need to talk.”
Liam Payne's relationship history
At the time of his death, Liam was dating influencer Kate Cassidy, who he had been in a relationship with for the past two years.
Prior to Kate, Liam dated Cheryl Cole, with whom he welcomed son Bear in 2017, with the couple splitting in 2018 after two years together, and he was engaged to Maya Henry from 2020 to 2021.
Liam Payne on his son with Cheryl Cole: 'Looks like a mini-me'
The singer gave a rare update about his son Bear in August this year, after he celebrated his 31st birthday, saying, "I didn't get any dad socks yet thought. I'm going to speak to my son in a little bit which I'm really excited about. Bless him. He's getting so big now.
“He's a big boy and he looks like a mini-me. As if we needed any more me in the world.”
Liam Payne fans outraged after TMZ shares photo of his body
TMZ was first to report the singer's death, leaving fans horrified after sharing images of his body.
The site shared photos, showing the singer's tattoos, leaving fans outraged, with one user writing on X, "There was no need to include those pictures."
Mental health support for yourself or a loved one can be found by calling Lifeline on 13 11 14, Mensline on 1300 789 978, or the Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.Online support is available via Beyond Blue.
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