BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) 鈥� Former One Direction singer 31, whose chart-topping British boy band generated a global following of swooning fans, was found dead Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, local officials said.
Buenos Aires police said in a statement that Payne fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of Argentina's capital, resulting in 鈥渆xtremely serious injuries.鈥� Medics confirmed his death on the spot, the statement said.
The police statement to The Associated Press said Payne 鈥渉ad jumped from the balcony of his room.鈥� Police rushed to the hotel in response to an emergency call just after 5 p.m. local time warning of an 鈥渁ggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol,鈥� the statement added.
The hotel manager can be heard on a 911 call obtained by the AP saying they had "a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol ... He鈥檚 destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please.鈥� The manager's voice became more anxious as the call went on, noting the room had a balcony.
Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, told Argentina鈥檚 Todo Noticias TV channel that authorities were investigating the circumstances of his death and conducting an autopsy.
Payne had been vocal about struggling with alcoholism, posting a in July 2023 to his YouTube channel where he said he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment. Representatives for Payne did not immediately return emails and calls.
Dozens of One Direction fans flocked from across Buenos Aires to the Casa Sur Hotel after the news broke, forming lines that spilled into the cordoned-off street outside the hotel where police stood sentinel. Forensic investigators were seen exiting the hotel, from where Payne鈥檚 body was removed around three hours after the fall. Young women filming with their cellphones expressed shock and heartbreak as a makeshift memorial with rows of candles and bouquets quickly grew outside the hotel.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think he was going to die so young,鈥� 21-year-old Isabella Milesi told the AP.
Payne was one of which formed when they each auditioned for the British singing competition series 鈥淭he X Factor鈥� in 2010, two years after Payne's first attempt to get on the show. At 16 the second time around, Payne sang Michael Bubl茅鈥檚 version of 鈥淐ry Me a River,鈥� appearing nervous at the start but warming up with the audience鈥檚 cheers and applause.
After each singer failed to make it through the competition as solo acts, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges combined Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson into what would become one of the most successful boy bands 鈥� even though they lost the competition.
Each member had their own persona, with Payne 鈥� who hailed from Wolverhampton, a city in the West Midlands region of England 鈥� being known as the responsible one. The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits like 鈥淲hat Makes You Beautiful,鈥� 鈥淣ight Changes鈥� and 鈥淪tory of My Life.鈥� Payne had prominent solos on songs including 鈥淪tole My Heart鈥� and 鈥淐hange Your Ticket,鈥� co-writing several of the band's hits. They had six Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts by the time they disbanded in 2016 and a highly loyal fan base, known as 鈥淒irectioners,鈥� many of whom were teen girls.
鈥淚鈥檝e always loved One Direction since I was little,鈥� said 18-year-old Juana Relh, another fan outside Payne鈥檚 hotel. 鈥淭o see that he died and that there will never be another reunion of the boys is unbelievable, it kills me.鈥�
With his meteoric rise to fame, Payne had said that it took some time to adjust to the public eye.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think you can ever deal with that, it鈥檚 all a bit crazy for us to see that people get in that sort of state of mind about us and what we do,鈥� he said in a 2013 interview with the AP after recounting an experience where a fan was in a state of shock upon meeting him.
After the group's dissolution, Payne 鈥� like each of his erstwhile bandmates 鈥� pursued a solo career, shifting toward EDM and hip-hop. His 2017 single 鈥淪trip That Down,鈥� featuring Quavo, reached the Billboard Top 10, and stayed on the charts for several months. He put out in 2019, and his last release 鈥� a single called 鈥淭eardrops鈥� 鈥� was released in March.
Payne had a with his former girlfriend, the who was known as Cheryl Cole when she performed with Girls Aloud. She was an 鈥淴 Factor鈥� judge during One Direction's season, although their relationship began years later. Payne was previously engaged to Maya Henry, from August 2020 to early 2022. Henry released a novel earlier this year that she said was based on their relationship.
In addition to his son, he is survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
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Huamani reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press journalists Natacha Pisarenko and Debora Rey contributed reporting from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Isabel Debre And Kaitlyn Huamani, The Associated Press
