Former One Direction singer, Liam Payne, dead at 31

Former star of the boy band, One Direction, Liam Payne has passed away after a fall in Argentina at the age of 31.

The singer died on Wednesday at 5 p.m. local time. He fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of Argentina’s capital. His death was confirmed by Alberto Crescenti, the director of emergency services in Buenos Aires. The circumstances of the fall were unclear.

Payne’s band One Direction burst onto the scene in 2011 when the group’s debut single, “What Makes You Beautiful,” hit No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Five of its other songs reached the chart’s Top 10, including “Story of My Life,” “Drag Me Down” and “Live While We’re Young.”

However, come 2015 the band broke the news that they would be taking a break to go their separate ways. Meanwhile, Payne had released a single a year prior to the split.

Payne had been in Argentina to attend former bandmate Niall Horan’s tour The Show days before the incident occurred.

Police had been notified through a 911 call from the hotel's manager, who reported that a man was behaving aggressively, by the time of law enforcement's arrival Payne had been pronounced dead.

While many fans or so-called “Directioners” grieve this loss, those who have shared the spotlight with Payne have been taking to social media. Media personality, Paris Hilton wrote on X, formerly Twitter:

"So upsetting to hear the news of @LiamPayne passing, sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. RIP my friend.”

There is no current information as to the motive behind the death whether accidental or intentional. A funeral has not been set for a future date yet.

Bronwyn Liber is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email brl5354@psu.edu.