Liam Payne, a former member of the British boy band One Direction, died on Wednesday after falling from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, The New York Times reports.

In a statement to AP, police said Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room.” 

Payne rose to fame in 2010 as a member of One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson.

The group, which formed on “The X Factor,” is referred to as “the world’s biggest boy band” by Billboard. However, the band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016. 

Payne was known as one of the main songwriters for One Direction and is credited for co-writing more than half of the band’s songs.

In an interview with Attitude Magazine, Payne said his music was heavily inspired by that of Pharrell Williams. 

In spite of One Direction splitting up, Payne told “Good Morning America” that he does “miss being with the boys.” 

Payne’s bandmates said they are “completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” in a statement shared with BBC on Thursday.

“We will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.” 

Solo career success

In 2017, Payne released “Strip That Down” as the lead single from his debut solo album titled “LP1.” The album topped Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums charts in Dec. 2019.

Payne announced that a second album was in the works in May 2023, and scheduled his first solo tour dates in Latin America. 

However, Payne was forced to postpone both the tour and the completion of his album, as he was hospitalized in Aug. 2023 with a kidney infection. 

Payne returned to music earlier this year, releasing his single “Teardrops” on March 1, 2024. The single was co-written with NSYNC member JC Chasez. 

Payne’s mental health and sobriety journey

Payne was known to speak openly about his struggles with mental health and substance abuse. In a 2021 episode of The Diary of a CEO podcast, Payne said that he’d experienced thoughts of suicide during his time in One Direction. He explained that he used alcohol to cope with the band’s massive success. 

“It was a really, really severe problem,” Payne said. 

However, in a YouTube video posted in July 2023, Payne announced that he was celebrating six months of sobriety. 

Philanthropy and charity work

Despite his own struggles, the Wolverhampton, England native frequently partnered with British charities such as the Trussell Trust food bank, who remember the singer’s “compassion and kindness.”

Payne was a “generous supporter of Trussell and our community of food banks,” Emma Revie, the organization’s chief executive, told ABC News. “His death is a very tragic loss.”  

Payne was also an avid supporter of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and participated in the charity’s celebrity football match, Soccer Aid in 2022 and 2023. 

“Everyone at Soccer Aid for UNICEF is devastated to learn of the sadding passing of Liam Payne,” the organization said in an Instagram post on Thursday morning.

“The thoughts of everyone at UNICEF are with Liam’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.” 

Family statements

Liam James Payne is survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola, and his seven-year-old son, Bear. 

“We are heartbroken,” Payne’s family said in a statement to BBC. “Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny, and brave soul.” 

Payne’s family has asked for privacy and space during their time of grief. 

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