Liam Payne’s Father Geoff Arrives in Argentina 2 Days After Singer’s Death at the Age of 31

Liam Payne’s father, Geoff Payne, arrived in Argentina two days after the death of the singer.

Geoff was seen leaving his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the morning of Friday, October 18, as he made his way to the Buenos Aires Judicial Office, according to photos obtained by TMZ. He appeared somber as he left the hotel dressed in a navy suit.

He and his wife, Karen Payne, shared Liam, and they are also the parents to daughters Nicola and Ruth.

Liam died at the age of 31 after he fell three stories at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel on Wednesday, October 16. A hotel employee called 911 earlier in the day and said that police needed to arrive “urgently.” The staff member alleged that the unnamed guest had “overindulged on drugs and alcohol” and was acting erratically. Authorities eventually arrived at the scene, though the former One Direction member had already died.

“There was no possibility of resuscitating him,” authorities said at the time. “He had extremely severe injuries that were incompatible with life due to the fall.”

Alberto Crescenti, the Buenos Aires emergency services chief, also confirmed that Liam died from “very serious injuries” that were sustained from the fall. “Based on what the team saw, there was apparently a cranial fracture and extremely serious injuries that led to his immediate death,” he said, per The Sun.

Liam’s family issued a statement one day after his death on Thursday, October 17. “We are utterly devastated by the news,” an unnamed family member told The Daily Mail.

After noting that they were “heartbroken” over his passing, the family’s statement continued, “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.”

Liam had a close relationship with his family, and he previously spoke to The London Times about how Geoff played a key role in his decision to audition for The X Factor. “My childhood was good, but there wasn’t a lot of money. I was 14 when I first appeared on The X Factor. It was my dad who was the driving force behind that,” he told the outlet in November 2019. “I entered the show for him. I returned two years later because Simon Cowell told me to – you listen to him.”

After auditioning on the show in 2010, Liam joined One Direction alongside fellow contestants Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles. Zayn, 31, left the group in 2015, while the remaining members announced they were going on an indefinite hiatus just months later in 2016.

His former bandmates broke their silence on his passing in a joint statement issued on October 17. “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,” the group said in the statement posted to the band’s social media pages.