Liam Payne’s Death Leaves One Direction Bandmates ‘Completely Devastated’

Liam Payne, who rose to fame as a member of chart-topping British boy band One Direction, has died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. He was just 31 years old.

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Payne died Wednesday evening, CNN reports, with several witnesses saying he fell from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Authorities are still investigating the nature of Payne’s death.

Payne is best known as a member of One Direction, a group assembled in 2010 on the reality competition The X Factor , along with fellow bandmates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan. The group was a worldwide sensation, becoming one of the top-selling boy bands of all time with hits like “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Live While We’re Young” and “Story of My Life.”

In a joint statement released Thursday on Instagram , Styles, Malik, Tomlinson and Horan 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.”

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Payne embarked on a solo career when One Direction went on hiatus in 2016. He released his debut solo album, LP1 , in 2018, with its lead single “Strip That Down” going platinum.

Payne is survived by a son, Bear Grey, born in 2017 and shared with former girlfriend Cheryl Cole.

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