Liam Payne has died at 31.
Policía Federal Argentina confirmed to People that the former One Direction member was pronounced dead after an incident at a hotel in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires.
According to a translated statement to Argentine news outlet TN from Alberto Crescenti, the director of Argentina’s medical emergency services SAME, the first-responders were alerted to the hotel via a 911 call. Upon arrival, the SAME emergency team reportedly confirmed Payne’s death as a result of the incident.
Both SAME and local police have confirmed that they are actively investigating Payne’s death as both an accident and potential suicide.
Note from Teen Vogue editors: We are choosing not to name the cause of death out of caution, as this death is being actively investigated as both an accident and potential suicide. At Teen Vogue, we follow the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Safe Reporting Guidelines for Media and do not name the cause of death in a potential suicide.
According to Reuters, fans of Payne and One Direction gathered outside of the Palermo hotel on Wednesday evening to pay tribute to the late singer, laying candles, singing the band’s songs, and leaving letters and flowers.
Earlier this month, Payne reunited with his former 1D bandmate Niall Horan in Argentina, during Horan’s tour stop in Buenos Aires.
Liam Payne was an English singer who rose to fame after starring on The X Factor in 2010 and becoming a member of global boyband sensation One Direction, which also included members Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson.
Payne released his debut solo EP First Time in 2018 and his solo debut studio album LP1 in the winter of 2019, gaining notable charting success from the singles “Strip That Down” featuring Quavo and “For You” featuring Rita Ora. Payne's final solo record “Teardrops” was released in March 2024 as the intended lead single of his sophomore album.
Payne had one son, Bear Grey who was born in March of 2017, whom he shared with English singer and TV personality Cheryl Cole.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information comes in.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or the National Alliance on Mental Illness hotline at 800-950-6264.
