BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — El ex cantante de One Direction Liam Payne, de 31 años, cuya exitosa banda británica generó un gran número de admiradores en todo el mundo, fue encontrado muerto el miércoles tras caerse del balcón de un hotel en Buenos Aires, dijeron funcionarios locales.
La policía de Buenos Aires dijo en un comunicado que Payne cayó del tercer piso del Hotel Casa Sur en el moderno barrio de Palermo de la capital argentina, lo que le provocó “heridas extremadamente graves”. Los médicos confirmaron su muerte en el lugar, según el comunicado.
La policía informó a The Associated Press que Payne “había saltado desde el balcón de su habitación”. La policía acudió al hotel en respuesta a una llamada de emergencia poco después de las 5 p. m., hora local, en la que se advertía de un “hombre agresivo que podría estar bajo la influencia de drogas o alcohol”, añadió el comunicado.
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’s destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please.” 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’s 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 video 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’s 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.
“I didn’t think he was going to die so young,” 21-year-old Isabella Milesi told the AP.
Payne was one of five members of One Direction, which formed when they each auditioned for the British singing competition series “The X Factor” in 2010, two years after Payne’s first attempt to get on the show. At 16 the second time around, Payne sang Michael Bublé’s version of “Cry Me a River,” appearing nervous at the start but warming up with the audience’s 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 — even though they lost the competition.
Each member had their own persona, with Payne — who hailed from Wolverhampton, a city in the West Midlands region of England — being known as the responsible one. The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits like “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life.” Payne had prominent solos on songs including “Stole My Heart” and “Change Your Ticket,” 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 “Directioners,” many of whom were teen girls.
“I’ve always loved One Direction since I was little,” said 18-year-old Juana Relh, another fan outside Payne’s hotel. “To see that he died and that there will never be another reunion of the boys is unbelievable, it kills me.”
With his meteoric rise to fame, Payne had said that it took some time to adjust to the public eye.
“No creo que podamos lidiar con eso nunca, es un poco loco para nosotros ver que la gente llega a ese tipo de estado mental sobre nosotros y lo que hacemos”, dijo en una entrevista de 2013 con la AP después de relatar una experiencia en la que un fanático quedó en estado de shock al conocerlo.
Tras la disolución del grupo, Payne, como cada uno de sus antiguos compañeros de banda, siguió una carrera en solitario, orientándose hacia la música electrónica de baile y el hip-hop. Su sencillo de 2017, “Strip That Down”, con la colaboración de Quavo, llegó al Top 10 de Billboard y permaneció en las listas durante varios meses. En 2019 lanzó un álbum, “LP1”, y su último lanzamiento, un sencillo llamado “Teardrops”, se publicó en marzo.
Payne tuvo un hijo de 7 años, Bear Grey Payne, con su exnovia, la músico Cheryl, conocida como Cheryl Cole cuando actuaba con Girls Aloud. Fue jueza de “X Factor” durante la temporada de One Direction, aunque su relación comenzó años después. Payne estuvo comprometido anteriormente con Maya Henry, desde agosto de 2020 hasta principios de 2022. Henry publicó una novela a principios de este año que, según ella, estaba basada en su relación.
Además de su hijo, le sobreviven sus padres, Geoff y Karen Payne, y sus dos hermanas mayores, Ruth y Nicola.
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Huamani informó desde Los Ángeles. Las periodistas de Associated Press Natacha Pisarenko y Débora Rey contribuyeron con el reportaje desde Buenos Aires, Argentina.
