Liam Payne ‘was using hallucinogenic drug’ before death
Liam Payne was said to be using a potent drug that can cause hallucinations in the lead-up to his tragic death, according to Argentine authorities.
Celebrity Life
Don't miss out on the headlines from Celebrity Life. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Liam Payne was said to be using a potent drug that can cause hallucinations in the lead-up to his tragic death, according to Argentine authorities.
Before falling to his death from a Buenos Aires hotel room, Payne was reportedly using a very dangerous substance called ‘Cristal’ which can cause users to “experience extreme highs and lows, often making them aggressive”, the New York Post reported.
The horror drug could be be the reason behind the 31-year-old singer’s strange behaviour in the before his fatal fall.
Hallucinations induced by Cristal could have played a role in his fall from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in central Buenos Aires, local authorities have said.
There were reports, Payne left behind a trashed hotel room, with bottles of champagne lying around, a smashed TV and even drug paraphernalia.
Argentina’s biggest newspaper La Nacion, published photos of the room, which appear to confirm the initial reports.
‘HEARTBREAKING’ REHAB VISIT REVEALED
Liam Payne entered rehab before his tragic death but quit after just two days, it has been revealed, as the music star’s father arrived at the scene of his fatal fall and visited his son’s body at a Buenos Aires morgue.
According to The Sun, the One Direction singer checked into The Priory - a private addiction rehab and mental health hospital in North London in July in a bid to beat his drug and alcohol issues. However his visit lasted little more than 48 hours into his 28-day Addiction and Therapy Program. A move said to be devastating to his family and friends.
Payne told those close to him he wanted to beat his addictions for himself, his seven-year-old son Bear and the rest of his family.
Despite entering The Priory with the best of intentions, The Sun reported that Payne barely left his room during his short stay and didn’t attend therapy classes alongside others seeking help.
He reportedly began taking the drug chlordiazepoxide, an anti-anxiety treatment that is also used to treat the withdrawal symptoms associated with alcohol and drugs.
But the treatment proved too much and he Payne checked out of the clinic.
Those revelations came as his father Geoff Payne, was pictured inside the CasaSur Hotel in Buenos Aires where his son lost his life.
Geoff Payne was also pictured arriving in a car at the Argentinian capital’s judicial morgue where the body of Liam remains for the autopsy and police investigations.
HAUNTING VIDEOS EMERGE AS LAST WORDS REVEALED
Late One Direction star Liam Payne spent his final days creating priceless memories for fans who had descended on the same hotel in Argentina where he was staying to watch a concert by fellow bandmate Niall Horan.
Payne died on Wednesday after plunging to his death from the balcony of his room at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires.
In one clip which is sending shivers through the internet, a sobbing fan with a matching tattoo is seen telling Payne he “saved his life” with his beautiful music.
Another video taken during the hotel stay shows Payne being very generous with his time, signing autographs and even singing to his adoring fans.
Despite the sweet sentiments showed by Payne in the clips, there is a foreboding undertone as he appears to be slightly slurring his words.
‘I USED TO BE IN A BOY BAND - THAT’S WHY I’M SO F***** UP’
Meanwhile a guest whose friend was waiting to check in to the same trashed hotel room Liam Payne plunged to his death from in Argentina has described the harrowing moments leading up to his demise.
A 28-year-old female IT consultant from Washington DC told the Daily Mail staff at the hotel were “on edge” both due to Payne’s erratic behaviour and the fact he kept returning to the lobby rather than checking out of his room.
“I came into the hotel, and he was waiting by the elevator, and it was so clear he wanted someone to recognise him, there was something a bit desperate about him,” the witness said.
“I was with my friends and we did know who he was, but none of us were that bothered.
“When the lift came he suddenly said to us without any prompting: ‘Yes, I’m Liam!’ really drawing it out, and then said ‘All right come on you lot, get in the elevator with me, I love a cuddle’.
“I decided against it and waited for the next one.”
The woman said Payne returned to the lobby about ten minutes later carrying his laptop.
She said he appeared to receive bad news and became very upset.
“He opened his emails and saw one which obviously upset him. Suddenly he took the computer, shouted ‘f*** this s*** mate!’ and started bashing the computer on the ground,” the witness told the Daily Mail.
“Everyone, especially the staff was really shocked. It’s a high-end hotel and his behaviour was so out of place – people were just chilling.
“I went over, asked ‘are you OK?’ But he just kind of grunted. Then he said ‘I used to be in a boy band. That’s why I’m so f***ed up.’”
The woman said she saw Payne for a third and final time when he came and went to the lobby yet again only to fall on his face and be ushered to his room.
He fell to his death minutes later.
The witness account matches up with that of fellow guest Brett Watson of Chicago who told ITV he too saw Payne coming and going from the lobby, “causing a disturbance” and “passing out” which resulted in him having to be “physically taken back up to his room”.
“So we’re here with a couple of other guests in the hotel and we were in the lobby just waiting for some people to arrive and that’s when we had multiple encounters with Liam,” Mr Watson said.
“Multiple times (Payne) had come down to the lobby, was causing a disturbance, kept being escorted back up to his room.”
PAYNE ‘OVERWHELMED BY LEGAL ISSUES’
The witness accounts come as fresh details emerge about Payne’s legal woes with his ex-fiancee, Maya Henry, after he fell to his death from the third floor balcony of a hotel in Argentina on Wednesday.
Payne’s ex-partner, a 23-year-old model, was reportedly “in shock” over the former One Direction band member’s death, with the tragedy coming just one week after Henry issued a cease-and-desist order for allegedly repeatedly contacting her, according to the Daily Mail.
An unnamed source came out to People, telling the American celebrity magazine that Payne “was extremely overwhelmed by all of the legal issues” involving Henry in the days leading up to his death.
The former couple were reportedly engaged before calling off their relationship in 2022.
In a TikTok shared on October 6 by Henry, she alleged that her ex — whom she doesn’t name, but associates with “One Direction fans” — continues to “blow up” her phone.
“It’s always from different phone numbers too. I never know where it’s going to come from … Also [he] will email me,” Henry claimed.
“Not only me, but he’ll blow up my mom’s phone. Is that normal behaviour to you?”
“Also messaging my friends,” she continued. “I found out later so they could go over to his house apparently.”
CONFLICTING REPORTS ON PAYNE’S BALCONY FALL
Mystery surrounds Payne’s death amid conflicting reports on whether he was even conscious when he fell, as it emerged he was dropped by his record label days earlier.
In a statement, Buenos Aires Security Ministry communications director Pablo Policicchio said that Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room.”
However the 31-year-old’s autopsy found Payne didn’t assume a reflex position, suggesting he may have been partly or fully unconscious when he fell, according to local new outlet Fiscales.
PAYNE DROPPED BY RECORD LABEL
It comes as the Daily Mail cited several unnamed sources as saying the singer was axed by Universal Music Group.
His most recent solo single Teardrops was released in March but had only had six million Spotify plays since then compared to more than one billion streams for his 2017 solo debut hit Strip That Down with Quavo.
“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.
‘DESTROYING THE ROOM’: DISTRESSING 911 CALL
In a 911 call obtained by AP, the hotel’s manager reportedly notified authorities that it had “a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol,” adding, “He’s destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please.”
Meanwhile, two women who may have been the last people to see Payne alive provided statements to police, Argentina’s prosecutor’s office said.
The women left the hotel without Payne after waiting for him in the lobby on the day of his death, according to local news outlet Infobae. There is no indication the women were in any way involved in the stars’s fatal fall.
Police are also said to be looking into whether a drug dealer was involved before Payne’s death, with local media publishing photos from inside Payne’s hotel room appearing to show white powder and burnt aluminium foil.
ONE DIRECTION BAND MEMBERS BREAK SILENCE
It comes as Payne’s former One Direction band members broke their silence a day after his death.
In a joint statement the band said: “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say.
“But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.
“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us.
“We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam. – Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry.”
In a separate personal tribute, Harry Styles shared a picture of Payne and said his “greatest joy was making other people happy”.
“I am truly devastated by Liam’s passing,” Styles said on Instagram, adding “The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend.”
Louis Tomlinson described Payne as “the most vital part of One Direction” in his personal tribute.
“I am beyond devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother,” Tomlinson said in his post on Instagram, adding “His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam.”
Zayn Malik shared a photo of him and Payne embracing while sleeping in the back of a car during their early band days.
“Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives,” Malik wrote on Instagram.
PAYNE READS OUT HEARTBREAKING LETTER
One of the revelations that emerged in the past couple of days following his death was a heart-wrenching reflective letter of hope Payne had written to his 10-year-old self.
Payne revealed in the note he’d, at one point, “feel like giving up.”
In 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Payne featured on BBC Radio 1 where he shared the note he had written for his younger self.
“Get Ready, it’s about to get a little bumpy,” he wrote.
“Cherish every moment with your loved ones right now, as there’s only a few more family holidays to enjoy, life is about to turn surreal.
“You know that thing you love, singing, keep it up, when you turn 14, something magical is going to happen, and I’m not talking about puberty.
“Not only will you audition for one of the biggest music shows in the world, but you’ll also meet the future mother of your child.”
FAMILY, WORLD REACTS TO PAYNE’S DEATH
Payne’s family issued a statement asking for privacy at this “awful time”.
“We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
Simon Cowell, who created X factor where One Direction was formed, cancelled a taping of Britain’s Got Talent following Payne’s death.
“This news has hit Simon incredibly hard – he is utterly shocked and devastated,” a source told The Sun.
The tragic ending to the story of Payne’s life plunged millions of One Direction fans 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 Payne died.
Unlike other boy bands such as Take That and N’Sync, One Direction did have a regular hand in songwriting, providing them with guaranteed future revenue.
The website Celebrity Net Worth estimated Payne’s fortune to be $US70 million ($A105 million).
On the band’s third album Midnight Memories, Payne was credited as a songwriter on nine tracks and on Four, their next LP, he had credits on seven tracks. He also had songwriting credits on three tracks on his only solo album, LP1.
Payne also had a number of lucrative commercial partnerships.
In 2019 he became the face of menswear label Hugo Boss, with a special collection named after him. In 2020 the collaboration deepened, with the singer announced as the face of Hugo Boss Fragrances.
More Coverage
Originally published as Liam Payne ‘was using hallucinogenic drug’ before death
Join the conversation
Liam Payne’s funeral revealed, stars to attend
Liam Payne will be laid to rest at an intimate funeral in England tomorrow, with his former One Direction bandmates all set to pay tribute.
Read more
Kate misses massive Charles moment
Buckingham Palace has rolled out the red carpet for a major reception - but the Princess of Wales was a no-show.
Read more
Star suffers injuries from nasty accident
Jay Leno has sustained injuries from yet another accident years after suffering third-degree burns from a freak car fire and broken bones from a motorcycle crash.
Read more
‘I’m so young’: Pugh rattled by diagnosis
UK actress Florence Pugh has revealed her life has “completely changed” after discovering she was suffering from an invisible illness.
Read more
Guest list for Payne’s funeral revealed
The family of tragic One Direction star Liam Payne will farewell the tragic singer within hours, with A-listers flying in for the service.
Read more
Star called out for cancer prank
Dave Coulier, who was last week diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, has defended his Full House co-star John Stamos’ cancer prank.
Read more