Liam Payne’s family say they’re “heartbroken”, and paid tribute to the former One Direction member’s “kind, funny and brave soul” after he was found dead in Buenos Aires on Wednesday.
Payne, 31, had been staying at a hotel in Argentina’s capital, and fell from a third-floor balcony.
His death sparked an outpouring of grief from fans of the boy band, that rocketed to fame after forming as part of a British reality television show in 2010 before splitting up six years later.
In a statement released Thursday, his family said:
“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.”
(L-R) British boy band One Direction members Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Liam Payne. (Reuters: Eric Gaillard)
In a statement, Argentine police said they had received calls for help to deal with “an aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol” at the CasaSur Hotel.
Authorities have not said whether Payne tumbled over the balcony’s barriers accidentally, or if he jumped.
The police statement said the hotel’s manager had heard a loud noise at the back of the building, and when officers arrived they found that a man had fallen over the balcony in his room.
While One Direction had not released new music for almost a decade, the group’s former members Payne, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik remained active solo artists.
The English-Irish heart-throbs were thrust together as part of reality TV show The X Factor and went on to release five albums, selling around 70 million copies globally.
Payne, born in Wolverhampton, has been described as “fundamental” to the group’s appeal.
He had posted on social media about his time in Buenos Aires ahead of his death, which had included attending the concert that former band mate Horan had given on October 2.
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