Former One Direction member Liam Payne has tragically passed away at the age of 31 after reportedly falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Local police reported that they responded to an emergency call involving an “aggressive man” who appeared to be under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Upon arriving at the scene, officers heard a loud sound from the hotel’s inner courtyard, where they discovered Payne’s body, which was subsequently taken to a morgue.

Earlier this month, Payne attended a concert by his former bandmate Niall Horan in Argentina. Payne was a globally successful boy band One Direction member, alongside Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik.

Payne first sought fame on The X Factor in 2008, where Simon Cowell advised him to return after two years. He auditioned again in 2010, and this time, he was grouped with four other solo contestants to form One Direction. The band became a sensation, scoring four number-one albums and four number-one singles in the UK and achieving global chart success. They announced a hiatus in 2015.

In 2017, Payne launched his solo career with the single Strip That Down, which reached number three on the UK charts. He also collaborated with Rita Ora on the track For You, from the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack, which became another top-ten hit.

Payne was married to Cheryl Cole of Girls Aloud from 2016 to 2018, and they have a son named Bear, born in 2017. In recent weeks, social media has seen allegations regarding Payne’s behaviour towards former partners, with one individual reportedly seeking legal action to prevent him from contacting her friends and family.

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