Before Liam Payne's death on Wednesday (October 16), a hotel manager in Buenos Aires, Argentina called 911 to report a guest who was “overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol,” adding, “he's destroying the whole room and, well, We need you to send someone, please.”
According to the Associated Pressthe caller's voice became more concerned as the call continued, with the hotel manager noting that the room had a balcony. Former One Direction star and solo star Payne, 31, was found dead Wednesday after officials said he suffered “extremely serious injuries” in a fall from his third-floor bedroom balcony — about 42-45 feet off the ground – at Casa. Sur Hotel in the Palermo district of the country's capital.
While initial reports said Payne had fallen, the AP reported that Buenos Aires Security Ministry spokesman Pablo Politico told the news service in a statement that Payne “jumped from the balcony of his room.”
Police were dispatched to the scene following an emergency call at around 5pm local time on Wednesday, according to Policicchio, after being told by hotel staff that there was an “aggressive male who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”. . Officials are reportedly still investigating the circumstances of Payne's death, while an autopsy is underway.
In the days since, fans have gathered in a vigil outside the hotel for the band's beloved star, lighting candles and singing 1D's “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life,” while his peers and family share their grief over the shocking loss.
Payne's rise to stardom began in 2010 at the age of 17, when he was paired with the other members of what would become One Direction by Simon Cowell after the quintet's singers all auditioned for the Brits. X-Factor as one-acts. Along with Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, Payne shot to global acclaim in 2012 following the release of the band's debut single in late 2011, 'What Makes You Beautiful', which reached No. 4 of the complex. Bulletin board Hot 100 and UK No.1.
The song memorably begins with one of Payne's most beloved, iconic vocals, in which he sings, “You're insecure, you don't know why/ You turn heads when you walk through the door/ You don't need makeup to cover/ Being the way you are is enough.” During the band's subsequent six-year run they scored four No. 1 albums on the Bulletin board 200 and six Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits.
After the group's hit hiatus, Payne – who has never headlined on tour – released his only solo album in 2019 LP1as well as a number of singles, including 2017 Bulletin board Hot 100 No. 10 Hit “Strip That Down” (feat. Quavo), “Get Low” (feat. Zedd, No. 23, 2017), “Bedroom Floor” (No. 35, 2017), “For You (Fifty Shades Freed)” (feat. Rita Ora, No. 37, 2018) and “Familiar” (feat. J Balvin, No. 25, 2018). The 2018 EP was also released First timeas well as singles with Jonas Blue and Lennon Stella (“Polaroid”, 2018), A Boogie Wit da Hoodie (“Stack It Up”, 2019), Cheat Codes (“Live Forever”, 2019) and Dixie D'Amelio (” Naughty List”, 2020).
His latest single, “Teardrops,” co-written by former *NSYNC member JC Chasez, was released in March.
After the band went on hiatus indefinitely in 2016, the singer opened up about how the dizzying rush of fame got the better of him, leading to a struggle with years of substance abuse. In July 2023, he posted an eight-minute video in which he revealed that he was nearly six months sober after a 100-day stint in a Louisiana rehab facility.
“I just feel like I have more control in life and everything that was getting away from me, I just feel like I have more of a handle on it,” Payne said at the time. “I just needed to take some time for myself because I kind of became someone I didn't recognize anymore. And I'm sure you didn't either. I was in bad shape up to that point and I was very happy to put a stop to life and work.”
In one Interview 2019Payne admitted he had trouble adjusting to 1D's Beatles-like level of fan adoration at the height of the group's success, often relying on alcohol to cope with stress. “It's almost like I'm putting on the Disney suit before you go on stage and under the Disney suit I'm pissing myself a lot because there's no other way to tell what's going on,” he said. “I mean, it was fun. We had an absolute blast, but there were certain points where it got a little toxic.”
Then in one Diary of a CEO Appearing on a podcast in 2021, Payne talked about struggling with depression and substance use disorder during the chaotic 1D years. “I was worried about how far my bottom would be. Where is the bottom for me?' the singer told host Stephen Bartlett. “And you would never have seen it. I'm very good at hiding it. No one would have ever seen it.”
He described how the pressure and intense attention from fans at the height of the group's fame transformed him into an “angry person” who turned to prescription pills and alcohol to numb his anxiety and fear. When host Bartlett asked if that period included “suicidal ideation,” Payne said it did, explaining, “There are some things I've definitely never, ever talked about. It was really, really, really serious. It was a problem. And it wasn't until I saw myself after that that I said, “Right, I've got to fix myself.”
Payne said the substance use continued for “many years” and then returned during England's 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, when he took a break from recording solo songs for a few months due to exhaustion, only to find to drink more and more and earlier and earlier in the day. “What I've found more than anything else with alcohol is boundaries. If you're on Zoom, you can probably get away with being a little awkward when you shouldn't be,” he said at the time.
After seeing one of his appearances on TV looking bloated and unwell, he said he started working out, attending meetings and going to therapy.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health or substance abuse disorder, reach out to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrationnational 24/7 helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for confidential treatment referrals and information. For those experiencing suicidal thoughts and/or anxiety, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 by texting 988.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/liam-payne-death-hotel-manager-aggressive-man-under-influence-fall-1235803897/
