Liam Payne dead: Singer suffered career blow days earlier

Former One Direction star Liam Payne apparently suffered a major career setback days before his death, as autopsy results raise a key question. Warning: Sensitive content

Former One Direction star Liam Payne may have been unconscious when he fell from a hotel balcony to his death, prosecutors have said, as it emerged he was dropped by his record label days earlier.

The 31-year-old’s autopsy found he died from severe injuries suffered in the fall but that he didn’t assume a reflex position, suggesting he may have been partly or fully unconscious when he fell, Fiscales reports.

Payne, a father of one, was in Buenos Aires for his ex-bandmate Niall Horan’s tour when he fell from the third floor of the balcony of the Hotel CasaSur in Palermo on Wednesday 5pm local time (7am Thursday AEDT).

Liam Payne fell to his death from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.

On Friday, the Daily Mail cited several unnamed sources as saying the singer was axed by Universal Music Group.

“Liam’s advance was massive and he didn’t recoup [it],”, one source said, according to the publication, adding “Out of all of the One Direction boys, Liam was on the wrong path musically.”

It’s believed Payne’s second album release was put on hold before he was dropped by Universal. In another big blow, Payne’s PR representative also resigned earlier this month.

It comes as police are said to have spoken to two women who may have been the last people to see him alive.

Argentina’s prosecutor’s office said two women who were allegedly with Payne the night before his tragic death had provided statements.

Infobae reports the women left the hotel without Payne after waiting for him in the lobby on the day of his death.

There is no indication the women were in any way involved in the stars’s fatal fall. Rather they could help determine what happened in the hours before.

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PAYNE SPENT FINAL NIGHTS GIVING MONEY TO SICK KIDS

Payne spent nights before his death making donations to GoFundMe accounts for sick children in the US.

“As a father, it hits me differently,” the singer, and father of one, said as he paid the accounts live on Snapchat.

“I would want everyone in the world helping.

“I have been spending the last few nights trying to finish off the donations so they can get the operations they need – they would be free in my country.

“I can’t not look at a sick child and not see Bear. I can’t and I won’t.

“I’m not asking for people to say well done or I’m amazing – I don’t give a f*** about what people think of me.

“What I care about is that that child gets to live the life it’s supposed to.”

Liam welcomed his seven-year-old son, Bear Grey, with Cheryl Cole in March 2017.

In a resurfaced video of comments he made on his 31st birthday earlier this year about Bear, Payne said: “Bless him. He’s getting so big now. He’s a big boy and he looks like a mini me. As if we needed any more me in the world.”

PAYNE’S CLOSE FRIEND REVEALS FINAL TEXTS

Hours before his death, Payne exchanged text messages with a close friend.

The woman, Jodie, said Payne messaged her on Monday asking how she was doing to which she said she was at the gym with her son, according to The Sun.

Payne replied “nice” before sharing a photo of himself on his bed at the hotel room and a hand on his forehead.

Jodie replied: “Sorry just home x.”

Payne messaged Jodie again on Wednesday, just hours before his death, asking if she was awake.

Jodie replied around 8am and he told her he was “chilling” in Argentina.

HOTEL GUEST HEARD ‘VIOLENT NOISES’, A ‘SCREAM’

A hotel guest said he heard “violent noises” and a “scream” coming from inside Payne’s room before his death.

Doug Jones told the BBC: “I thought they were working on the room. There was a lot of noise, like heavy lifting, like banging, a lot of loud, violent noises, I thought.

“And I saw hotel people going in and out of that room, so I thought they were doing work on the room.

“So about 4pm, 4.30pm, I started hearing some more noise, I was still doing work, and I heard a really loud, violent scream around 4.45pm, 5pm.”

It wasn’t til he saw a “road full of cops” that Jones said he realised something was wrong.

PAYNE ‘JUMPED FROM THE BALCONY’

Meanwhile, Communications Director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry Pablo Policicchio said in a statement Payne died after he “jumped from the balcony” of his hotel room in Argentina.

Police arrived at the hotel after receiving an emergency call from a hotel employee at 5pm local time about an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” Mr Policicchio said.

According to a translated La Nacion transcript, the hotel worker said Payne was intoxicated and presumed he was “under the influence of alcohol and drugs,” insisting that someone needed to come “urgently” to the location.

Throughout the call, Payne’s name was not thought to have been mentioned.

One of the last photos of Liam Payne, taken by a fan in Argentina. Picture: Supplied

Liam Payne signs autographs for fans in Argentina. Picture: Supplied

According to Sky News, the worker stated that the guest’s life might be “in danger” because he was “in a room with a balcony”.

“We’re afraid he could do something that threatens his life,” the worker said.

The transcript of the call also stated that the worker said Payne had been “trashing the entire room” before his death.

Tributes left at the Casa Sur Hotel where Liam Payne died. Picture: Getty Images

Alberto Crescenti (the head of SAME, Buenos Aires’ public emergency medical services system), said that Payne suffered “a fracture at the base of the skull” following the fall, according to Argentinian news channel TN.

An investigation is currently underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, local police said, adding that an autopsy will be conducted.

POLICE INVESTIGATING DRUG DEALER LINKS

Police probing Payne’s tragic death could be set to investigate whether a drug dealer is involved.

Argentine media published pictures allegedly showing inside Liam’s Buenos Aires hotel room after he fell to his death from the balcony, with the images appearing to show white powder and burnt aluminium foil.

In the images, there appears to be traces of a white powder and burnt aluminium foil both in the bathroom and living area.

Cops will now test the alleged items to see if they are illegal substances, and look into who may have supplied them.

Photos published by Argentinian media show a smashed TV in Liam Payne's hotel room. Picture: Supplied

Photos of the deluxe suite show pieces of aluminium foil scattered on the desk and traces of an unknown white powder. Picture: Supplied

A burnt candle and more aluminium foil were found in a bath of Liam Payne's luxury suite. Picture: Supplied

The tragic ending to the story of Payne’s life plunged millions of One Direction fans and the pop star’s family and friends into shock and grief.

Fans sobbed as they sang the boy band phenomenon’s 2013 hit Story Of My Life as they gathered outside the Buenos Aires hotel where Liam died on Thursday.

A police spokesman in the Argentinian capital said officers were sent to the hotel after an emergency call from the manager, just after 5pm Wednesday local time, about an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”.

In a recording of the call obtained by Associated Press, the manager becomes increasingly anxious as he told police “he’s destroying the entire room” and noted the room had a balcony.

Fans light candles outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Picture: AP

Fans of British singer Liam Payne gather next to the hotel where he died in Buenos Aires. Picture: AFP

According to TMZ, the singer earlier “had been acting erratic in the hotel lobby and smashed his laptop” before he “had to be carried back to his room”.

Payne was found by police suffering “extremely serious injuries” on a deck near the hotel pool, with medics confirming his death.

Police at the Casa Sur Hotel, where Liam Payne died. Picture: Getty Images

Police at the Casa Sur Hotel, where Liam Payne fell to his death from a third floor balcony. Picture: Getty Images

The view from the balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel, where former One Direction band member Liam Payne died on Wednesday.

PAYNE WITH GIRLFRIEND DAYS PRIOR TO DYING

The singer had been in Argentina since September 30 with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, who reportedly returned home a few days ago.

The pair were filmed singing and dancing together at the Buenos Aires concert by his One Direction bandmate Niall Horan on October 2.

Reportedly the last photo of Liam Payne with girlfriend Kate Cassidy, posted to social media before he died.

Less than an hour before his death, Payne shared several posts on Snapchat. Some of the snaps included photos of his food, his plans to play polo and filming Cassidy as they ate breakfast, revealing they had been staying at their friend’s home. The video appears to have been recorded before Cassidy left and uploaded later.

“Today, we ride. I think I’m going to be playing polo again, which is going to put me out of action for about six weeks,” Payne said in one post.

PAYNE’S MUSIC CAREER

Payne was catapulted to global stardom alongside Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik in 2010 after they were fashioned into the boy band One Direction on the British reality singing contest The X Factor.

Each member had a distinct persona, with Payne known as the “responsible” one who pulled his then teen bandmates into line when they acted their age.

Former One Direction member Liam Payne posed with fans for a selfie at the 2014 ARIA Awards in Sydney. Picture: Getty Images

But the relentless recording, touring and promotional schedule and the extraordinary pressures of global fame over the five years of One Direction’s reign as one of the biggest boy bands in pop history took its toll on the young star.

PAYNE SPENT NEARLY 100 DAYS IN REHAB

He battled alcohol and substance abuse in the wake of the band’s break-up in 2016 as he worked to establish his solo career, publicly sharing his experiences at rehab.

In July last year, Payne shared his mental health struggles in a YouTube video, celebrating six months of sobriety, and telling fans he’d spent nearly 100 days in a rehab facility in Louisiana.

Singer Liam Payne battled alcohol and substance abuse. Picture: Getty Images for Sony Pictures

“I just kind of feel like I’ve got more of a grip on life and everything that was getting away from me. I just feel like I’ve got more of a handle on it,” he said.

“I just needed to take a little bit of time out for myself, actually, because I kind of became somebody who I didn’t really recognise anymore. And I’m sure you guys didn’t either. I was in bad shape up until that point and I was really happy to kind of put a stopper to life and work.”

PAYNE VISITED AUSTRALIA

Payne visited Australia on several occasions, first touring here in 2012 and joining his bandmates for appearances at the Logies and ARIA Awards.

He last performed here at the Royal Randwick Racecourse for The Everest carnival in 2018.

The singer and songwriter released his final solo single Teardrops, the first taster of his planned second album, on March 1 this year.

STARS PAY TRIBUTE

Paris Hilton was among the first stars to share their grief about the singer’s death on social media, writing: “So upsetting to hear the news of Liam Payne passing. Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. RIP my friend”.

He survived by his son Bear, 7, his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.