A former singer from the band One Direction was found dead after a calamitous incident in an Argentine hotel.
Liam Payne, 31, was found dead Wednesday after falling from the balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel Palermo in Buenos Aires, the Associated Press reported.
The discovery followed a chilling call to emergency services that sent police scrambling just before the celebrity’s death.
The AP reported the hotel manager called emergency services and warned of an “aggressive man” in the hotel
The caller speculated the man could have been “under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
The manager said the man was “destroying the entire room” and noted the guest’s room had a balcony.
A Buenos Aires police statement obtained by the AP stated, Payne fell from the third floor of the hotel, sustaining “extremely serious injuries” in the incident.
Responding medics declared Payne dead on the scene. It took three hours for his body to finally be removed from the location.
Fans and others crowded around the hotel and set up memorials to the late singer.
Breaking entertainment news site TMZ was sharply criticized for sharing photos of Payne’s body following his death.
According to Deadline, TMZ posted close-up photos of the body showing unique identifiers, such as Payne’s tattoos.
Performer Alessia Cara, who performed with Payne in the past, called the entertainment site “gross” for posting the photographs.
you’re gross @TMZ
— ac (@alessiacara) October 16, 2024
The pictures of Payne’s body have since been taken down by TMZ.
In 2021, Payne admitted to struggling with substance abuse during a candid interview.
“My face was 10 times bigger than it is now,” Payne said in 2021 of his problems abusing prescription medication and alcohol, according to the Toronto Sun.
“The problem was, the best way to secure us was to lock us in a room, and what is in the room? A minibar.”
During the 2021 interview, Payne also hinted at suicidal ideation accompanying his substance abuse.
Authorities are now investigating Payne’s death and performing an autopsy on the body.
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