Payne is reported to have died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, local officials said, according to the Associated Press.
Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, said on Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel that Payne fell into a courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood of Argentina’s capital, AP said.
Payne is said to have been in Buenos Aires to attend the concert of his former bandmate Horan, having been seen dancing at his show two weeks ago at the Movistar Arena alongside his girlfriend Kate Cassidy.
After becoming one of the biggest pop groups in the world with five albums and four world tours, they went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.
Payne, who was born in Wolverhampton, released his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019 which included the singles Polaroid and Familiar.
He and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl share a son Bear, born in 2017, having been in a high-profile relationship between 2016 and 2018.
In August last year, Payne postponed his scheduled tour of South America after suffering from a “serious kidney infection”.
He said the infection was something “I wouldn’t wish on anyone” and he had been instructed by doctors to “rest and recover”.
In August, Payne was announced as a judge on a new Netflix show alongside former Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland and The Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger.
The stars were to judge attempts to create a band, looking at the contestants’ chemistry as they formed groupings in the musical competition series.
Tributes pour in
A statement on the official X account of the Brit Awards said: “We’re incredibly sad to learn of the tragic passing of Liam Payne. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family at this time”.
Media personality and fellow former X Factor contestant Rylan Clark said Liam Payne’s death was “tragic”.
In a post on X, the broadcaster described news of the singer’s death as “extremely sad.”
Former X Factor duo Jedward have paid tribute to singer Liam Payne, who died following a fall at a hotel in Argentina.
In a social media post on X, the pair sent “strength to Cheryl and his son Bear and all the One Direction family”.
John and Edward Grimes, known as Jedward, started their careers on the same reality TV show that launched One Direction.
Paris Hilton has paid tribute to former One Direction member Liam Payne following his death at a Buenos Aires hotel.
The socialite called the news “so upsetting” in a post on X, and sent her “love and condolences” to his friends and family.
Jack Johnson, one half of American rap duo Jack & Jack, paid tribute to singer Liam Payne following his death and called out social media trolls for their treatment of the former One Direction star.
“If this Liam Payne news is true that s**t is honestly so gut-wrenching… was such a nice guy the few times me and G ran into him, f*** the Internet for being so ruthless over the past few months,” he wrote on X.
