Payne died on Wednesday, October 16, after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Although the exact cause of death wasn’t immediately confirmed, authorities suggested that the “Strip That Down” singer might have been “under the influence of drugs or alcohol” before the fatal fall, which caused severe injuries.
“Liam had been cycling through periods of ruinous behavior for a long time,” a source told Page Six. “He was open about his struggles but often tried to downplay them. His demons were much worse than he let on.”
Earlier that day, Payne had posted a video on Snapchat, saying he was having a “lovely day in Argentina” with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy. However, it’s believed the video was not recent, as Kate, 25, had returned to Florida earlier in the week, according to her TikTok account.
The British pop star, who rose to fame through The X Factor in 2008 as part of One Direction, had been open in recent years about his battles with addiction and mental health issues.
In a 2021 podcast, Payne revealed he had hit “rock bottom” and experienced “suicidal ideation” during his time with the boy band, which disbanded in 2016.
Liam, who shared a 7-year-old son, Bear, with ex-partner Cheryl Cole, announced in 2023 that he had entered rehab and celebrated being over 100 days sober.
