Liam Payne’s former One Direction bandmates have paid tribute to him saying they are “completely devastated” by his death in a fall from his third floor hotel balcony.
The singer died in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires on Wednesday shortly after staff at his hotel twice called the emergency services to ask for help with a guest “intoxicated by drugs and alcohol”.
In a statement signed “Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry”, they said: “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing.
“In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.
“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.
“For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us.
“We will miss him terribly.
“We love you Liam.”
In a personal statement on Instagram, Tomlinson said Payne was “such a positive, funny, and kind soul”.
He added: “I first met Liam when he was 16 and I was 18, I was instantly amazed by his voice but more importantly as time went on I got a chance to see the kind brother I’d longed all my life for.
“Liam was an incredible song writer with a great sense of melody, we often spoke of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band.
“And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam.”
In what he described as “a message” to Payne, he added: “I feel beyond lucky to have had you in my life but I’m really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye. I’m so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours, reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I’d have with you for life. I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn’t to be.
“I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was.
“I wish I got chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you.
“Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well X”
Police officers and ambulance staff found Payne dead at the scene and his body was transferred to the judicial morgue. He is believed to have died instantly from a fractured skull.
The prosecutor’s office on Thursday indicated the musician was alone when he fell and said he appeared to be “going through some kind of episode due to substance abuse”.
Forensic experts said no injuries were observed to suggest the intervention of third parties, although “the investigation is also aimed at determining the possible intervention of third parties in the events prior to his death”.
Police in the Argentine capital previously said the music star’s hotel room had been “in complete disarray” with “various items broken” with alleged images of the room showing a smashed TV and drug paraphernalia.
They added a whiskey bottle, lighter and mobile phone had been retrieved from the internal hotel courtyard where his body was found.
According to local media, Payne “had been acting erratically in the hotel lobby and smashed his laptop” before he “had to be carried back to his room”.
The Argentine public prosecutor's office on Thursday said: "City police who surveyed the scene found substances inside the room that at first glance - and pending confirmation from the experts - would be narcotics and alcoholic beverages, as well as several destroyed objects and furniture.”
A post-mortem said he died of multiple traumas and “internal and external haemorrhage” as a result of a fall from the balcony of a hotel’s third-floor.
Payne’s family said they were “heartbroken”, adding: “Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.”
Tributes have been paid to the singer after his death at the age of 31, with pictures showing shocked fans gathering outside the hotel after police cordoned off the area, with forensic investigators in white protective suits and blue gloves seen entering and leaving.
Fans were photographed lighting candles and leaving flowers at the side of the road in an impromptu vigil as they paid tribute to the music star.
Former X Factor contestants have paid tribute, with Cher Lloyd, who appeared on the ITV programme in the same year, writing on Instagram that she will “cherish the memories made and the laughs we had”.
A post from the official X Factor account on X, formerly Twitter, described Payne as “immensely talented”, while the show’s former host Dermot O’Leary told ITV’s This Morning the singer was “kind of both wise and sort of a young soul at exactly the same time”.
One Direction was formed in 2010 with Payne, Malik, Tomlinson, Horan and Styles, after they individually auditioned for The X Factor.
After becoming one of the biggest pop groups in the world, with five albums and four world tours, they went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.
Wolverhampton-born Payne released his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019 which included the songs Polaroid, Familiar and Strip That Down featuring Quavo.
The song was one of two tracks that reached the top 10 in the UK official charts, alongside For You with Rita Ora from the film Fifty Shades Freed – which the duo performed at the Brit Awards in 2018.
He was in a high-profile relationship with Girls Aloud singer Cheryl between 2016 and 2018, and the couple had a son, Bear, in 2017.
The singer previously said he struggled with alcoholism at the peak of his success with One Direction, describing hitting “rock bottom” to The Diary Of A CEO podcast host Steven Bartlett.
He admitted his addiction to alcohol continued during the Covid pandemic, but in 2023 he posted a YouTube video confirming he was almost six months sober after nearly 100 days in a US rehab facility
