Former One Direction member, Liam Payne, died at 31 after falling from a third-story balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires on Oct. 16, 2024. While the cause of his tragic death is still unclear, toxicology reports have revealed that the singer had ‘pink cocaine’ in his system—a mix of ecstasy, ketamine, methamphetamine and other drugs.
There were many strange circumstances surrounding the lead up to Payne’s death. Employees of the hotel where Payne died reported that the singer was acting “erratically” in the lobby and was seemingly intoxicated. Inside of his hotel room, police found the room in a state of disarray with broken furniture and objects. His long-time girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, had left Buenos Aires to return to Florida only a few days before, leaving Payne by himself. In a TikTok posted only two days before Payne’s death, Cassidy claimed that she hated “staying in one place for too long” and needed “to go home.”
His autopsy report showed that Payne didn’t show any signs of attempting to break his fall, signaling that he was likely unconscious when he fell from the balcony. While it’s clear Payne was severely intoxicated, the reasoning behind his behavior is still unknown.
Following his death, many people in Payne’s inner circle have come out with statements about his death. The other four members of One Direction released a joint statement as well as individual statements. “We will miss him terribly,” the joint statement from Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan read. In their individual posts, they all referred to Payne as their “brother” and expressed their devastation due to his death.
Payne was not only a celebrity and former One Direction member, but a father as well. He had a 7-year-old son, Bear Payne, that he left behind. His death was devastating for his close friends and family, but he has also made a lasting impact on his fans. Crowds of people gathered around the place where Payne died, lighting candles, putting up pictures and singing some of his songs as a way to honor his memory.
Like many students here at LO, senior Arya Lewis has grown up listening to One Direction. She claims that she has known of them since she was a kid, but she became “a real fan” in 2020. “It’s weird that he was so young because that was a part of my childhood. We all kind of expected them to do so much more,” said Lewis.
For many students and fans, his death has made them reflect on their own lives. “I think most people just go through life thinking they’re going to live to be like 100,” junior Callie Schmitke said. “Then, you look at Liam Payne, who was on average a really good person but died really young, and it just makes you more grateful for the days that you have.”
