On Oct. 16, singer and former One Direction star Liam James Payne passed away. The thirty-one year old star fell from a balcony from hotel CasaSur Palermo in Argentina, after 911 calls reported Mr. Payne had been acting wildly and violently after taking too many drugs and drinking too much alcohol. His death moved numerous fans, friends and family across the world as they continue to grieve his tragic death.
What Led to Liam Payne’s Death?
Liam Payne was in Argentina to visit his former band mate, Niall Horan. When he arrived in Argentina, however, hotel staff and management heard ruckus coming from his hotel room. At around 5:00 p.m. local time, hotel staff phoned 9-1-1 and reported that Payne was under the influence of substances and was posing a great risk to himself. Seven minutes after the call, paramedics and police arrived and found him on the ground as he fell from his third floor hotel balcony, and pronounced him dead at the scene. Medical officials retrieved his body for an autopsy around 8:30 p.m. later that night, and Payne was discovered to have been either fully or partially unconscious during his fall. A partial autopsy concluded that he had many drugs in his system at the time of his fall, including cocaine, crack and benzodiazepine. He also had “pink cocaine” in his system, which is a mix of several drugs including methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA.
His Life Before fame
Liam Payne was born prematurely three weeks before his due date to his mother, Karen, and father, Geoff. Karen was an infant nurse and Geoff a fitter. Payne was diagnosed with kidney problems at a very young age, which caused him to monitor his water and alcohol intakes and be conscious of his health. Liam began running as a hobby, and was ranked in the top three 1500m runners in the country at his age.
Although Payne enjoyed the sport, he admitted it wasn’t where his heart was; instead, it was singing that he loved. Payne auditioned for the X-Factor TV series in 2008 but did not pass. Judge Simon Cowell advised him to finish school first and then return to the program. He later returned in 2010 and sang the Michael Bublé version of “Cry Me a River” by Justin Timberlake, amassing love from audience and judges. However, the judges just weren’t certain Liam would succeed as a solo artist and had similar worries with four other contestants. This is where the band One Direction began.
One Direction Begins
Nicole Scherzinger formed the band with Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Liam himself. All the boys were between the ages of sixteen and eighteen at the time of their debut, with Liam being the third oldest.
The group made their first single, “What makes you Beautiful” in August 2011, achieving amazing records: they debuted at the top of the UK Singles Chart for 78 weeks, and peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with their debut single. The band only got more famous from then on.
Fans followed the band everywhere they went, which resulted in most of their free time being spent pent up in hotel rooms. This is where Liam believes his alcohol problems began. The young star found solace in the hotel’s minibars as it was the only way he could release his stress and frustration from the day. In 2014, his habits turned to routine as his bandmates noticed he was always under the influence more often than they were. Payne’s struggles with alcohol continued for years after that.
One Direction Ends, Bear is born
In 2015, Zayn Malik decided to leave One Direction. The band released their last album, “Made in the A.M.” before finally splitting up in December 2015. This breakup took a heavy toll on Payne, especially with his mental health, and he admitted to struggling with the idea of independently achieving fame once again, stating that the idea scared him.
That same year in December, Payne became romantically involved with “Girls Aloud” band star Cheryl Tweedy. Tweedy was ten years older than Payne, and in 2017, the couple welcomed their first son, Bear. The two unfortunately split; Liam shared that becoming a parent is what caused the split. He was in three other relationships afterwards, with his most recent one being with Kate Casssidy, who is a 25 year old model and social media influencer.
Payne’s addiction
His band’s disbandment was the main cause of Payne’s peaked alcohol abuse and addiction. The pressure from being lonely, lacking direction and fame all caught up to him, and drinking was his way to cope.
In an interview with “The Diary of a CEO,” Liam Payne opened up about his addiction. He talked about his “One Direction drinking days,” drinking in hotels and from the mini bars saying he was at “rock bottom.” Later in 2023, Payne spent 100 days in a rehabilitation centre in Louisiana on a journey to sobriety. He also credited Louis Tomlinson for helping him in his journey.
Despite the treatment Payne received, he still struggled with addiction, which ultimately led to his death. His hotel room was found disarrayed with signs of drug and alcohol use, and the room was destroyed when officials came in. Across the world, fans mourn Payne’s passing and commemorate the legacy he has left.
