Former One Direction band member Liam Payne found dead aged 31

The British singer is understood to have fallen from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood around 5pm local time.

His body was found in the courtyard surrounded by tables and chairs, authorities said.

Alberto Crescenti, head of the Buenos Aires’ public emergency medical services, confirmed the star’s death, saying he fell around 14 metres, suffering “very serious injuries incompatible with life”.

“At 17:04, through 911, the integrated public security system, we were alerted about a person who was in an internal courtyard of the Casa Sur hotel. At 17:11, a team arrived and confirmed the man’s death,” he said.

“We later learned that he was a singer in a musical group. Unfortunately, he had injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall, so we had to confirm his death. There was no possibility of resuscitation.”

Payne is father to a seven-year-old son, Bear, whom he shares with UK singer Cheryl Cole.

He has been dating influencer Kate Cassidy since October 2022.

Shortly before news of his death emerged, Payne was posting videos on Snapchat with Cassidy.

It comes after Payne reunited with his former bandmate Niall Horan in Argentina earlier this month, where the latter performed a show on October 2.

Sharing a video to Snapchat at the time, Payne said he and his girlfriend were visiting Argentina on holiday, adding they wanted to see Horan’s concert while in the South American country.

“I think we might just go and say hello [to Horan],” Payne said in the video.

“It’s been a while since me and Niall have spoken. We’ve got a lot to talk about. And I would like to square up a couple of things with the boy. No bad vibes or anything like that. But just, um, we need to talk.”

The singer first auditioned as a solo act for the UK reality series The X Factor in 2008, before he was soon eliminated.

Payne returned to audition for the franchise again in 2010, when he was now famously paired with Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik by judge Simon Cowell to form One Direction, a group that went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.

The band announced its separation in 2015.

Payne, like other members of the group, went on to forge a solo career, releasing his debut album LP1 in 2019.

Just last week, it was reported the release of his much-anticipated second studio album was postponed, with no reason given as to why.

Payne has been open about his struggle with mental health issues, revealing in 2023 he had secretly spent 100 days in a wellness clinic in the US after hitting rock bottom.

In a video posted to his official YouTube account, which was shared in July last year, Payne confirmed he was six months sober.

“There is a point when you hit rock bottom and you realise you have got to do something different as whatever you are doing right now isn’t working for you,” Payne said at the time.

“I was in bad shape up until that point.

“Honestly, more than anything I want to say thank you to Bear and his mum for giving me a little bit of freedom to go and get well.

“I feel like I have a grip on life now. After I got back out, that process had worked for me, but there were still some little bits left that I kind of had to deal with myself.”

Payne claimed his turning point came after a controversial May 2022 interview with YouTuber Logan Paul, in which he took aim at his former bandmate Malik, before challenging pop star Justin Bieber to a fight.

“I needed to take some time out for myself. I kind of became someone who I didn’t really recognise any more,” Payne later said of the car-crash interview with Paul.

“I was so angry at what was going on around me that instead of taking a look inwards I decided to take it outwards on everybody else.

“It was wrong really, and my own frustrations with my own career. I want to apologise for that.

“The rest of the boys have really stuck by me and when I needed them most they kind of came to my rescue, even Zayn.

“It was hard for me to watch back. It is one of those life-changing moments that saved my life in a way.”