Liam Payne was acting erratically and had to be escorted back to his hotel room before he plunged to his death, workers who last saw him alive claimed.
The former One Direction star, 31, yesterday fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Palmero hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Police in Buenos Aires last night said they were initially responding to a 911 call ‘of an aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol’.
Officials heard a loud sound in the courtyard before discovering his body just after 5pm, reported the BBC.
According to TMZ, Liam ‘had been acting erratic in the hotel lobby and smashed his laptop’ before he ‘had to be carried back to his room’.
Liam Payne was reportedly acting erratically and had to be escorted back to his hotel room before he plunged to his death yesterday – pictured in Australia in 2018
His girlfriend Kate Cassidy posted a picture of the pair on her Instagram from last August
Scores of grieving fans came to pay tribute to Liam by placing lit candles outside the hotel
Members of the Argentine Police guard the hotel in Palermo in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Last night tearful fans hugged each other as they gathered and lit candles outside the hotel where Liam’s body was found
Police had received a call from a worker at the hotel urgently requesting help with an intoxicated guest, according to audio related to the case obtained from the Buenos Aires security ministry.
‘When he is conscious he is destroying the entire room and we need you to send someone,’ the worker said.
Emergency medical services director Alberto Crescenti said Liam had suffered ‘very serious injuries after falling from a third floor into an internal courtyard’.
‘We verified his identity using the passport he had,’ he said.
Mr Crescenti told Argentine newspaper Clarin that ‘the team saw that he apparently had a fracture at the base of the skull’.
His body was transported to a local morgue where a post-mortem examination will be carried out.
Unverified pictures have since emerged online claiming to be Liam’s hotel room completely trashed with one image showing a smashed television screen.
Last night tearful fans hugged each other as they gathered and lit candles outside the hotel where Liam’s body was found.
One woman could be seen sitting on the pavement with her head in between her knees.
The Foreign Office confirmed it is in contact with authorities in Argentina ‘regarding reports of the death of a British man’.
TV presenter Dermot O’Leary said Liam’s death was the ‘worst news’ when he paid tribute to the star last night.
Alongside a photo of O’Leary and Payne standing on stage together, he wrote on Instagram: ‘The worst news. I remember him as a 14-year-old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing.
‘He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble.’
Forensic teams could be seen combing the hotel last night where Liam plunged to his death
Tearful fans could be seen consoling each other following the shock news that Liam had died
Former One Direction member Liam Payne pictured in Paris earlier this year
Grieving fans gather behind a cordon outside the hotel last night
Several witnesses told the publication that Mr Payne – pictured in 2010 – had fallen from his room at the CasaSur Palmero Hotel shortly after 5pm (ART) Wednesday evening
The 31-year-old shot to fame in 2010 on XFactor with former bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, despite initially auditioning separately
A heartbreaking video shows Liam Payne singing and dancing at his former bandmate Niall Horan’s, where he later posted a picture with Niall to Snapchat captioned: ‘Reunited’
Liam had arrived in the Latin American country earlier this month to attend his ex bandmate Niall Horan’s concert.
Emergency medical services director Mr Crescenti said Mr Payne had fallen around 40metres and suffered ‘severe injuries which were incompatible with life’.
He said: ‘The alarm was raised at 5.04pm local time saying a person was lying in an internal patio at Casa Sur.
‘At 5.11pm an ambulance arrived and the man was certified dead.
‘Afterwards we found out he had been a famous singer. Unfortunately the injuries he had suffered as a result of the fall proved to be fatal. There was no possibility of resuscitating him.’
The star’s final Snapchat post showed him happily posing with his partner Kate Cassidy as they looked into a mirror – a picture which was originally taken last August.
Further posts from the final moments of the star’s life showed him enjoying lunch in his hotel room, where he revealed the pair had been ‘waking up at 1pm every day’ and deciding on Forest Gump as a Halloween costume.
A further tragic selfie was captioned: ‘Lovely day in Argentina’ before the star shared a photo of his hotel, writing: ‘Happy I got some time away’ followed by a heart emoji.
He shared a further photo with Kate captioned: ‘Quality time.’
His death comes days after his ex-fiancée May Henry started legal proceedings against him.
The Texan model, 23, instructed lawyers to issue a cease and desist letter to the One Direction star after accusing him of repeatedly contacting her.
The brunette beauty also accused Liam of obsessively contacting her friends and family including her mother Azteca Henry.
First responders arrive at the hotel where Liam Payne, former One Direction member, was found dead, in Buenos Aires
Police stand guard outside CasaSur Palmero Hotel where Liam Payne was found
Droves of fans have arrived at the scene in Buenos Aires in the wake of Liam Payne’s death
Pictured: A forensic technician uses his phone outside the hotel in the wake of the popstar’s sudden death
Despite the adoration, the band ultimately finished in third place on the X Factor but shortly afterwards Cowell a reported £2million Syco contract
Their debut album, Up All Night was also a best seller, becoming the UK’s fastest-selling debut album of 2011
Liam began his pursuit to stardom when he initially auditioned for X Factor in 2008.
At only 14 years old, Liam impressed judges with his own version of Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra – but was later eliminated from the show.
However, Payne gave his singing career another go auditioning for the competition again in 2010, where he quickly shot to fame as part of One Direction.
He and his former bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, were brought together by Simon Cowell and former judge Nicole Scherzinger who saw their potential as a group.
After just a few weeks of getting to know each other and non-stop rehearsing, the group impressed Simon at their Judge’s Houses audition and sailed through to the live shows.
The pop Svengali later admitted to Rolling Stone that it took him ‘about a millionth of a second’ to spot the group’s worldwide potential.
The fan reaction was instant too, with 1D hysteria soon dwarfing the show. Despite the adoration, the band ultimately finished in third place on the X Factor but shortly afterwards Cowell sealed their fate by signing the fivesome to a reported £2million Syco contract.
Keen to capitalise on the boys’ already devoted fanbase, Cowell moved quickly with recording for the band’s debut album beginning in January 2011.
A further tragic selfie was captioned: ‘Lovely day in Argentina’
Payne was seen contemplating a Forest Gump Halloween costume – he would die just 15 days before the holiday
The star heartbreakingly said he was ‘happy to have some time away’ less than an hour before he fell to his death
By September of that year One Direction’s first single was released with What Makes You Beautiful soaring to number one on the UK Singles Chart, after becoming the most pre-ordered Sony Music Entertainment single in history.
Their debut album, Up All Night was also a best seller, becoming the UK’s fastest-selling debut album of 2011, with the record leading to their first tour which kicked off in the UK that December.
After Malik announced his departure from the band in 2015, the band members went their separate ways.
During their time as a group, One Direction won five Brit Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, amassed over three billion YouTube views and sold 50 million records worldwide.
After releasing five albums with one of the biggest boybands of all time, Liam released his first solo album titled LP1 in 2019.
His singles Strip That Down co-written with Ed Sheeran climbed its way to number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that same year.
Over the course of his music career, the popstar collaborated with the likes of J Balvin, French Montana, Dixie D’Amelio and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie.
He was previously in a relationship with British pop sensation Cheryl Cole and the pair welcomed their son Bear Grey on March 22, 2017. The parents later split in 2018.
He was previously in a relationship with British pop sensation Cheryl Cole and the pair welcomed their son Bear Grey on March 22, 2017
Liam pictured with his son Bear as a newborn
After Malik announced his departure from the band in 2015, the band went their separate ways
Following his romance with Ms Cole, Liam had an on-and-off relationship with ex-fiancée Maya Henry, and the pair called it quits in May, 2022.
He leaves behind his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, his son Bear, seven, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
MailOnline has approached Liam Payne’s representatives for comment.
There has been an outpour of tributes online, with fellow former XFactor contestants Jedwad writing: ‘RIP Liam Payne. Condolences to his friends and family.’
They added: ‘ Sending strength to Cheryl and his son Bear, and all the One Direction family.’
Ex-X Factor contestant and TV personality Rylan Clark said: ‘Extremely sad news. Very tragic and so young. RIP Liam x’
Paris Hilton wrote: ‘So upsetting to hear the news of Liam Payne passing. Sending love and condolences to his family and loves ones. RIP my friend.
There has been an outpour of tributes online, with fellow celebrities sending their condolences
Stephen Bartlett penned: ‘I cannot believe what I’m reading about Liam Payne. Absolutely heartbreaking.’
MTV released the following tribute: ‘We’re deeply saddened to learn of Liam Payne’s tragic passing today. During this difficult time, our hearts remain with his family, loved one, and fans.’
The Brit Awards said: ‘We’re incredibly sad to learn of the tragic passing of Liam Payne. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family at this time.’
Spotify also added: ‘ We are deeply saddened by the news of Liam Payne’s passing. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the many fans who loved and supported him.’
