Liam Payne, a British boy band member of One Direction, died on Oct. 16 after allegedly falling from the third floor CasaSur Hotel balcony in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Payne was 31 years old and left behind a son, 7-year-old Bear Payne.
Liam’s death left fans worldwide shocked and heartbroken. Other members of One Direction and public figures wrote messages on their social media pages in response to the tragedy.
According to the prosecutor’s office, 72 hours before Payne’s death, toxicology reports showed that he had multiple substances in his system: alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant drug. Payne reportedly was displaying destructive behavior in the hotel. His death was caused by multiple trauma and internal and external hemorrhages, which was the result of the fall from the third floor. The autopsy report found that he may have fallen while in a state of semi or total unconsciousness because he failed to move into a protective position. The autopsy also confirmed that interference from someone else and self-harm were ruled out and his injuries were consistent from the fall of that height. Prosecutor’s looked through his phone and more than 800 hours of recordings from hotel security video and public roads.
Three people, all unnamed, have been arrested and charged in connection with Payne’s death. A hotel employee and drug dealer gave Payne drugs and were charged for supply and facilitation of narcotics. One person who was accompanying Payne daily while he was staying at the hotel was charged with crimes of abandonment of a person followed by death.
TMZ, a celebrity news website, published but later took down an article with information and pictures of Liam Payne’s dead body. The original pictures showed his whole body but were cropped to show just his arm and waist with his scorpion and clock tattoos. Many people were outraged and disgusted by this, wondering how TMZ thought that this would be okay and how publishers could get away with this.
In an Instagram post, Zayn Malik posted a photograph of him and Liam napping on each other during their time in the band. The caption of the post says, “Love You Bro ❤️.” On the second slide he wrote a message:
“Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives,” Malik said. “I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life.”
After originally planning to perform seven different shows in the U.S. during October and November, Malik has pressed pause on his upcoming tour.
“Given the heartbreaking loss experienced this week, I’ve made the decision to postpone the US STAIRWAY TO THE SKY Tour,” Zayn said. “The dates are being rescheduled for January and I’ll post them as soon as it’s all set in the next few days. Your tickets will remain valid for the new dates. Love you all and thank you for understanding.”
In an Instagram post, Harry Styles posted a photograph of Liam during a performance with the caption “.” On the next slide he wrote the following:
“I am truly devastated by Liam’s passing,” Styles said. “His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it. Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve, he had an energy for life that was infectious. He was warm, supportive, and incredibly loving. The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend. My heart breaks for Karen, Geogg, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear, and all those around the world who knew and loved him, as I did.”
In an Instagram post, Louis Tomlinson posted a photograph of him and Liam during a performance.
“I am beyond devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother,” Tomlinson said. “Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul. I first met Liam when he was 16 and I was 18, I was instantly amazed by his voice but more importantly as time went on I got a chance to see the kind brother I’d longed all my life for. Liam was an incredible songwriter with a great sense of melody, we often spoke of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band. And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us, Liam.
“A message to you, Liam, if you’re listening, I feel beyond lucky to have had you in my life, but I’m really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye. I’m so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours, reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I’d have with you for life. I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn’t to be. I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me, I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was. I wish I got a chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you. Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you, mate. Sleep well, X.”
In an Instagram post, Niall Horan posted a photograph of him holding Liam on his back.
“I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam,” Niall said. “It just doesn’t feel real. Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure. All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness. We got to live out our wildest dream together and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime. I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking. Thank you for everything, Payno. Love you, brother.”
In an Instagram post, Simon Cowell posted three pictures of his message.
“You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens,” Cowell said. “Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. This is so difficult to put in words right now. I went outside today, and I thought about so many times we had together. I wanted to let you know what I would always say to the thousands of people who would always ask me. What is Liam like? And I would tell them you were kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, focused. And how much love you genuinely had for the fans. I had to tell you when you were 14 that this wasn’t your time. And we both made a promise that we would meet again. A lot of people would have given up. You didn’t. You came back and within months the world knew Liam. And you never forgot the fans. I watched you spend so much time with people who had wanted to meet you. You really cared.
“You came to see me last year. Not for a meeting. Just to sit and talk. And we reminisced about all of the fun times we had together. And how proud you were to be a Dad. After you left, I was reminded that you were still the sweet, kind boy I met all of those years ago. I have met your son, Bear. He has your smile and that twinkle in his eyes you have. And he will be so proud of everything you achieved. And how you achieved it. I always thought of the 5 of you in the band as brothers. And reading their messages today I believe you were. And now Liam, I can see the effect you had on so many people. Because you left us too soon. Rest in peace, my friend. And I am sending my love, thoughts and prayers to your family.”
In an Instagram post on the One Direction account, the members united in a statement:
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you, Liam.”
