Former One Direction member Liam Payne has passed away, aged 31.
Findings released by the National Criminal and Corrections Prosecutors Office shared that the singer died as a result of “multiple trauma” and “internal and external hemorrhage.”
“Everything indicates that the musician was alone when the fall occurred, and was going through some kind of episode due to substance abuse,” the report stated.
As reported by The Guardian, an initial autopsy report further outlined that Payne suffered substantial head injuries following his fall off a third-floor balcony, describing the trauma as “sufficient to cause death.”
The 31-year-old died shortly after 5:00 pm local time after suffering a 14-metre fall from his hotel room balcony at the Casa Sur, Palmero Hotel in Buenos Aires.
Speaking to The Guardian, hotel guests visiting around the time of Payne’s death shared, “I thought they were doing construction, there was so much banging. Later I heard the sirens, thinking perhaps there was a fire somewhere, and then I heard a very loud scream.”
Citing officials, local newspapers La Nacion and Clarin reported that police were called to the hotel in the capital’s leafy Palermo neighbourhood responding to an emergency call that cited “an aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol.”
Ambulance workers later confirmed the death of the singer, who was found in an interior hotel patio, according to the news reports.
A partial autopsy found that Payne had substances including cocaine, crack and benzodiazepine in his body when he fell to his death, sources told ABC News Monday.
The test also found “pink cocaine,” a recreational drug that typically mixes methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA and others, per the outlet. His body will remain in Argentina until the full autopsy is complete.
Payne rose to fame when he joined One Direction, alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan after their launch on The X Factor in 2010. The band became the biggest boy band in the world, with Payne one of the principal songwriters, but broke up in 2015.
In June 2021, Payne revealed that he had struggled with addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs.
In March, Payne released the single ‘Teardrops’, marking his first new material since 2021, and was expected to soon release his second solo album. But when the song only peaked at Number 43 on the UK charts, he pressed pause on the album’s release and also reportedly shelved plans for a documentary about his life.
At the time, a source told The Sun newspaper that, “Things are tough for Liam at the moment. His former manager Roger stepped back earlier this year. He was a steady hand for Liam and he appears to be struggling without his guidance. Things have started to seem slightly erratic, with plans being made before they are cancelled last minute.”
“Liam had been doing really well on his second album but now it’s completely on pause. Liam is telling people now he has no idea if it’ll ever be released.”
Payne leaves behind a son, Bear, 7, from a previous relationship with Cheryl Cole.
Liam, who regularly posted on social media alongside his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, was spotted attending Nial Horan’s concert in Argentina two weeks ago.
“I think we might just go and say hello,” he said in a video online. “It’s been a while since me and Niall have spoken. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”