Investigation into Payne’s death opens; social media is flooded with messages of grief

Authorities are investigating the tragic death of British singer Liam Payne , former member of the band One Direction, after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires . He was 31 years old, in August he suspended a tour for health reasons and shortly before dying he posted the message “Beautiful day in Argentina” on social media.

The news of Payne ‘s death sparked a flurry of grief-stricken reactions on social media, where it immediately became a trending topic.

One of them, on the X network, shows a photo of Payne and the caption: “I was always going to live fast and die young.”

“I’m in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me. He was one of the first major artists I ever worked with. I can’t believe he’s gone,” American singer Charlie Puth wrote on Instagram.

In Buenos Aires, groups of fans and curious onlookers gathered outside the Casa Sur hotel in the Argentine capital, where Payne died on Wednesday afternoon after an emergency call from that establishment alerted them to an aggressive person who may have been drunk or drugged.

Police and emergency personnel arrived at the hotel and found a young man lying in an internal courtyard with a serious injury to the base of his skull , the head of the paramedic team that confirmed his death told reporters.

Pending the results of the autopsy, everything seems to indicate that the cause of death was the fall.

The case is in the hands of the 14th Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office of the Argentine capital, headed by prosecutor Andrés Esteban Madrea and secretary María Florencia Lavaggi, reported the newspaper La Nación.

The British Foreign Office said it was in contact with Argentine authorities over the singer’s death.

The Argentine newspaper La Nación recalled that Geoff and Karen Payne, Liam’s parents , told British media in several interviews that their son was born with kidney failure and other health problems and had to spend the first years of his life in a hospital.

Last August, the singer had cancelled his tour of South America due to health problems. He was due to play in Argentina on September 9, but due to a serious kidney infection, he took a break to preserve his health.

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The singer, who entered the music world after competing on the show “The X Factor” in 2008, to which he returned two years later as a member of One Direction alongside his colleagues Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, had been in Argentina for about two weeks, the first few days accompanied by his girlfriend, the American “influencer” Kate Cassidy, 25, with whom he had been in a relationship for two years.

Hours before his death, he posted a selfie on Snapchat with a message that read: “Beautiful day in Argentina.”

On October 2, he attended a concert with his former One Direction bandmate Nlall Horan in Buenos Aires and took a photo with him which he posted on social media.

The quintet One Direction, who finished third when they performed on The X Factor and quickly signed to Syco Entertainment, were one of the most popular and best-selling boy bands of all time.

Between 2010 and 2016, the British band sold more than 70 million records worldwide, fueled by hits like “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life.”

In 2017, Payne made his solo debut with “Strip That Down,” after One Direction announced an indefinite hiatus. His debut album “LP1” was released in 2019.

Among the artists who have expressed their grief over Payne’s death is rapper Ty Dolla Sign, who wrote on Instagram: “I just talked to you 2 days ago man. I miss you.”

“So upsetting to hear the news of [Liam Payne’s] passing,” Paris Hilton wrote on X. “Sending love and condolences to his family and loved ones. RIP my friend.”