LIAM Payne sang at his One Direction bandmate Niall Horan’s concert just days before his death.
The singer suddenly passed away in Argentina on Wednesday afternoon after falling from his hotel balcony, aged 31.
He had been in Buenos Aires for Niall‘s tour when he tragically plunged from the third floor this afternoon, TMZ reported.
A source later confirmed to The Sun that Liam had died.
Liam appeared to be in good spirits at the event, where he was seen singing and dancing alongside his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, 25.
In a video from the concert, he waves his arm and sings along to the music while affectionately kissing his partner on the head.
The Strip That Down hitmaker had travelled to South America to see Niall perform, joking with fans that he wanted to “square up a couple of things” with his former bandmate.
He shared a series of videos and snaps from Movistar Arena on Snapchat, captioning one photo of himself with Niall, “Reunited.”
Earlier this month, Liam had spoken to fans about his trip to Argentina with Kate, mentioning that he was looking forward to seeing his old friend.
He acknowledged that it had been a while since they last spoke and that they needed to catch up.
At the concert, Liam continued to show his support, sharing multiple videos and photos of his friend performing on stage.
He captioned one post, “So happy I got to see Niall in concert,” and enthusiastically sang along to his solo performance of One Direction’s 2014 hit, Stockholm Syndrome.
Liam was staying at Hotel CasaSur in the neighbourhood of Palermo, local media report.
A red tent has reportedly been put up over the body as cops begin the investigation into the death.
Cops were called to an “an aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”, local media claim.
But when they arrived, they found Liam dead.
Witnesses said Liam smashed his laptop and had to be carried back to his room following the incident.
The 31-year-old rose to fame through the boy band and then carried on with his own solo career after the group broke up.
Liam was part of the One Direction between 2010 and 2015 and had released one solo album in 2019 – LP1.
The Sun revealed last week that Liam had parted ways with his management and had shelved plans for a second solo album.
And earlier this week Liam’s ex Maya Henry called in the lawyers after accusing Liam of repeatedly messaging her, her friends, and her mum.
Liam made his debut as a singer when he auditioned for The X Factor in 2008.
By Joanne Kavanagh
IT was a romance that caused a media storm.
One Direction hunk Liam Payne was in a relationship with X Factor judge Cheryl.
The pair – who have a ten-year age gap – got together while Cheryl was going through her divorce to second husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini at the beginning of 2016.
Despite their age difference they looked completely infatuated with each other when the couple made their red carpet debut at Cannes in May 2016.
Liam even paid a sweet tribute to his girlfriend by getting a tattoo of her eye on his arm.
In 2017, Liam and Cheryl welcomed their baby.
Cheryl posted a picture on Instagram of Liam cradling their 7lb 9oz baby.
She captioned the sweet snap with: “On Wednesday Liam and I became parents to an incredibly beautiful, healthy baby boy looking like a dream.”
One pal told The Sun: “Cheryl gave birth to a baby boy on Wednesday, and both are doing well.
“Liam didn’t leave Cheryl’s side throughout the birth, and like her, he is besotted with their new son and can’t wait to take him home.
“This is the perfect Mother’s Day for Cheryl.”
The Sun revealed in May 2017, that the couple named their son Bear.
They decided on the unusual name after spending a week getting to know him.
Bear adopted his One Direction star dad’s surname, so he is called Bear Payne.
A source revealed: “Cheryl and Liam wanted to get to know [their son] before they decided on the name.
“They didn’t have the name Bear before the birth.
“But they’d been thinking of a name since meeting him and they just felt it suited him.”
In February 2018, The Sun broke the story that Liam’s constant travelling to promote his solo career had placed a huge strain on the relationship, and they were ready to split.
That same month, Cheryl declared that “none of it matters” as she shrugged off questions about her crumbling romance with Liam during a BBC Breakfast interview.
They then put on a united front together at the Brit Awards, where they smiled on the red carpet and Cheryl joked about the couple’s ‘safe word’.
However, by July 2018, Cheryl and Liam made the decision to split.
A pal told The Sun: “Cheryl and Liam worked really hard on their relationship – they had troubles earlier this year and were able to get through them.
“But they’re in different stages of their lives and, after a lot of careful thought, came to a decision that it’s best for everyone if they do go their separate ways.”
Liam and Cheryl then released a statement confirming their break-up.
They posted a message on social media that read: “We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It’s been a tough decision for us to make.
“We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.”
After being eliminated as a solo artist he auditioned again in 2010 and was put into a group with four other contestants to form One Direction.
Liam dated singer Cheryl Cole with the pair having a child named Bear in 2017.
They split in 2018 before he was linked to supermodel Naomi Campbell in 2019.
He had an on-off, three-year relationship with ex-fiancée Maya Henry which was said to have ended for good in May, 2022.
The singer had been open about his battles with drugs.
In 2021, he blamed a “pills and booze phase” for bloating his face to “ten times the size”, while also revealing he used to guzzle the contents of his mini bar when band chiefs checked the lads into hotels to keep fans at bay.
SHOCKED fans have started to flood Liam Payne's last Instagram post with sad tributes as news of the singer's death emerges.
German DJ Anton Zaslavski, otherwise known as Zedd, has taken to X with a devastated statement.
The producer, who worked with Liam on his 2017 hit Get Low, wrote: “RIP Liam… I can’t believe this is real…absolutely heartbreaking…”
American singer, Charlie Puth, who was friends with Liam and also collaborated with him on a song called Bedroom Floor, has posted a series of Instagram stories dedicated to him.
Alongside photos of the two of them together in their younger days, Charlie wrote: “I am in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me.
“He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I can not believe he is gone…
“I am so upset right now, may he rest in peace. I am so sorry…”
Irish singer duo Jedward also took to social media, saying: “RIP Liam Payne. Condolences to friends and family.”
In another tweet, they added: “Sending strength to Cheryl and his son Bear. And all the One direction Family. RIP Liam Payne.”
American media personality Paris Hilton shared: “So upsetting to hear the news of Liam Payne passing. Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. RIP my friend.”
ITV weather presenter Alex Beresford shared a news video about Liam’s tragic death on Instagram, adding: “Can’t believe this! RIP Liam.”
Meanwhile Love Island star Molly Marsh penned: “I’m so taken aback, rest in peace.”
