Liam Payne was seen arguing with a woman over money in the lobby of his hotel just hours before he died after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires, another guest has claimed.
The 31-year-old former One Direction singer plunged 45 feet from the third floor into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Argentine capital on Wednesday, sparking an outpouring of grief around the world.
In the wake of the tragedy, hotel guests shared chilling memories of the moments leading up to her death, including hearing “violent noises” and a “scream.”
One guest claims Payne had made a shocking admission just minutes before he fell to his death: “I used to be in a boy band, that’s why I’m so.”
Michael Fleischmann, from the US, was also staying at the luxury hotel and claims that just three hours before Payne’s death, the singer appeared “a bit wild” as he argued with an unnamed woman over money.
She claimed the former boy band star kept telling the woman: “I’ll give you $20,000 just because I can. I have $55 million and I like to help people.”
During the “very tense situation,” the woman is said to have spoken in Spanish and the hotel manager translated the conversation to Payne at around 2 p.m. local time.
Fleischmann told the Buenos Aires Herald that he only recognized the man “with an English accent who seemed to be causing a disturbance” in the lobby as Payne after news of his death broke.She added that the singer had “seemed very upset, agitated, a bit wild, walking and walking” and “seemed very energetic”.
Fleischmann’s mother, Toni, added: “She seemed extremely uncomfortable around him and a little apprehensive.
“It was just me, my son, Liam Payne, the woman and the staff. The manager was trying to politely intervene or calm him down. There was a sense of anxiety in the area.”
The mother and son ended up getting into the same elevator as Payne. They later left the hotel and the woman who was seen arguing with the star was outside the building talking on her phone.Payne was found dead by police, who say they found the pop star’s medications, including clonazepam, a drug used to control epilepsy, involuntary muscle spasms and panic disorders.
A blackened aluminium drinks can lid appeared to have been heated and a broken television screen on a shelf showed signs of a strong impact, while a half-empty champagne glass lay nearby.Rebecca, not her real name, a 28-year-old IT consultant from Washington DC, took these haunting photographs of Payne in the lobby shortly before his death.
She said his bizarre behaviour and its horrific aftermath had left her “shocked”. As tributes continued to pour in for Payne, including from her former bandmates:Rebecca’s surprise 30-minute encounter with Payne took place in the lobby of the hotel, where she was staying for a wedding. Payne was due to leave Wednesday morning but had not yet left by late afternoon, she said.
Rebecca took her photos from 16:26 local time (20:26 UK time), which is also when Payne made the ‘boy band’ comment. Just 36 minutes later, hotel staff raised the alarm at 17:04 after Payne fell. An ambulance arrived at 17:11 and Payne was pronounced dead.Rebecca told MailOnline in an exclusive interview: “One of my friends was due to pick up her suite so the hotel staff were a bit nervous because she hadn’t checked out yet at 4.30pm but also because of her behaviour.
“I got to the hotel, and he was waiting by the elevator, and it was so clear that he wanted someone to recognize him, there was something a little desperate about him.
“I was with my friends and we knew who he was, but none of us were that bothered by it.
“When the elevator arrived, he suddenly said to us without any questions: ‘Yes, I’m Liam!’ really stretching out the conversation, and then he said: ‘Okay, come on, get in the elevator with me, I love hugs. ’
“I decided not to and waited for the next one, but some of the other girls were picking on him and halfway through he started saying, ‘Oh, you guys are Americans, I live in West Palm Beach.
“I know the Americans. You are fucking crazy! You are fucking dangerous!”
