Liam Payne’s passing at the age of 31 has left fans of One Direction and pop music in shock, raising numerous questions about the circumstances surrounding his death. He died on October 16 after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Argentina, where he was vacationing. In the hours that followed, details emerged from police reports and Payne’s own Snapchat, while ongoing legal troubles with his ex, Maya Henry, added complexity to the situation.
Why was Payne in Argentina?
Payne had been in Argentina for over two weeks and attended a concert by his former bandmate Niall Horan on October 2. Just the day before, he had shared on Snapchat that he and his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, were heading to Argentina for a vacation to see Horan perform. He mentioned, “It’s been a while since me and Niall have spoken. We’ve got a lot to talk about,” hinting at unresolved matters between them.
What happened before he died?
In the hours leading up to his death, Payne shared various images and videos from his trip on Snapchat. One post expressed his happiness about getting away, while others included moments from earlier in the trip, such as breakfast with Cassidy. Cassidy had departed Argentina on October 14, indicating they had initially planned for a five-day stay. Notably, Payne’s last Snapchat photo of the couple was actually an old image from August 2023.
At approximately 5 p.m. on October 16, a manager at the CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires called the police, reporting a guest in distress due to drugs and alcohol. The manager noted that Payne was causing a disturbance in his room and expressed concern for his safety given the balcony access.
How did Payne die?
Upon arriving at the hotel, police discovered that Payne had fallen from his balcony. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene, stating he had jumped. Emergency responders were unable to revive him due to the severity of his injuries. A preliminary autopsy indicated the cause of death as “internal and external hemorrhage.”
What did TMZ do?
TMZ was one of the first outlets to report on Payne’s death, controversially including cropped images of his body for identification purposes, citing his tattoos. This decision faced widespread backlash online, leading to criticism from figures like singer Alessia Cara. TMZ later removed the photos and edited the post, but did not issue an apology.
What was going on with Maya Henry, Payne’s ex?
Days before his death, Maya Henry’s legal team issued a cease-and-desist letter to Payne due to ongoing attempts to reach her. Her lawyers described the situation as concerning, revealing that Payne was feeling overwhelmed by the legal matters surrounding their relationship. They had started dating in 2018, announced their engagement in 2020, but broke up in 2022.
Earlier this year, Henry released a novel, Looking Forward, which drew inspiration from her experiences, including a personal abortion story. In recent TikTok videos, she shared her struggles with harassment from an unnamed ex, hinting that the attention intensified after their breakup.
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