One Direction alum Liam Payne passed away yesterday in Argentina after a third-floor balcony fall. Authorities are not completely sure whether the 31-year-old singer had jumped, as of this writing.
The father-of-one was witnessed by hotel staff acting “erratic” earlier yesterday afternoon. Payne was pronounced dead after 5 PM local time.
Liam Payne Was Thought To Be ‘Aggressive’ By Witnesses
Initial calls to authorities described Payne as being “aggressive.” The singer was thought to be under the influence at the time, per newspaper reports.
Hotel witnesses also saw Payne reportedly “smashing his laptop” and deemed him in need of an escort back to his hotel room, which he later was believed to have destroyed per a phone call between hotel staff and emergency services.
The staff member allegedly told emergency services, “I don’t know if the guest’s life is in danger. The room has a balcony and we are afraid he might do something.”
It Is Not Currently Known Whether The Singer Jumped From Balcony
As of Thursday afternoon, police are only able to confirm that Payne had fallen from his balcony, and it is still unclear whether the singer had jumped.
Buenos Aires medical services chief, Alberto Crescent, described the former teen idol’s injuries to be “incompatible with life,” per a report from Us Weekly.
Crescent also disclosed Payne had sustained a “cranial fracture and extremely serious injuries that led to his immediate death,” per a report from The Daily Mail, as The Blast previously reported.
Liam Payne Was ‘Believed’ To Be Semi-Unconscious Or Unconscious Before Falling
On Thursday afternoon, autopsy reports for the singer revealed he was either semi or completely unconscious before his death, according to Us Weekly.
Payne also “did not have any injuries that would suggest the involvement of third parties,” the autopsy also stated. The reports go on to mention that the pop star “presumably did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself and may have fallen into a state of semi or total unconsciousness.”
The ‘Familiar’ Singer’s Identity Was Later Confirmed Via His Passport
The late former boyband member’s identity had been confirmed with the help of his passport after his body had been found.
The singer, and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, had been in Buenos Aires to see his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan perform.
Cassidy, an influencer, left the country before Payne passed away yesterday. She had reportedly left the country on Monday, October 14th.
The couple ended up spending two weeks in Argentina after originally intending only to spend less than a week.
Liam Payne And Kate Cassidy Had Been Together In Buenos Aires
Cassidy had reportedly been “homesick,” deciding to cut her time in Argentina short, while her boyfriend stayed. She allegedly left the country on October 14th.
@kateecasssoooo happpiii to b back in sunshine state♬ original sound – nicole
As of Thursday afternoon, Cassidy’s TikTok wherein she traveled back home to Florida is still up on her profile. In the TikTok, the actress said, “Honestly, love South America but I hate staying in one place for too long. And we were supposed to be there for, like, five days, turned into two weeks,” adding she was “so ready to leave.” She also shared flight anxiety also caused her to break out in a “weird rash.”
“I was so happy to be home. It was so relieving,” Cassidy also said.
As of this writing, Cassidy has not publicly spoken out about her boyfriend’s passing, although fans have commented on her Instagram photos with sympathy; others have been asking why she has not opened up about Payne’s death.
Some critics have inquired about Cassidy’s role in Payne’s sobriety. One asked, “Why would you [leave] him alone… doesn’t make sense,” while another said, “Why didn’t you help him stay/get sober though!!?”
Other fans have implored for critics to stop harassing the actress. A fan wrote, “[These] comments aren’t it. Let the woman grieve the loss of her boyfriend instead of you all hounding her with stupid comments.”
Another noted, “These comments are brutal you guys can do better than this. Just stop. She just lost her partner.”
The duo had been together for two years, per People.
