After Liam Payne fell from his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, a man getting married at the hotel shared the moment he watched the One Direction alum fall: “It’s something that’s burned into my brain.”
More details about Liam Payne’s tragic death have come to light.
Two months after the One Direction alum fell from the balcony of his Argentina hotel room at age 31, an eyewitness recalled the harrowing moment as he prepared for his upcoming nuptials at the venue.
“I was meeting our wedding planner,” Bret Watson recalled in a clip of TMZ Presents: Liam Payne: Who’s to Blame? Dec. 16. “We had gone up to the room. We happened to be looking out of the window of our hotel at the pool area just to show her the view and we saw Liam fall.”
“We immediately rushed out on the balcony,” he continued. “When we looked down, you could see that it was Liam lying on the ground. He landed face up so we could tell right away that it was Liam and he was motionless.”
Watson, who says he was in a room on the hotel’s first floor during the incident, noted that he still can’t shake the sound of his fall.
“Seeing anyone fall like that is heartbreaking, but being able to see it happen and then hear the impact on the ground was more haunting than seeing him fall,” he shared in the preview. “Then, seeing the immediate aftermath, it’s something that’s burned into my brain and something I’m never going to forget.”
He added that he’s “still working through and trying to process” the tragic moment.
Dave Benett/Getty ImagesPrior to Payne’s fatal fall, Watson also said that he and his wedding guests noticed the “Teardrops” singer becoming more erratic and agitated in the lobby, including abruptly slamming his laptop on the ground and shouting profanity before ultimately being carried out of the lobby by hotel employees. However, Payne’s friend Roger Nores—who says he is not among those under investigation in connection to the singer’s death—refuted those claims.
“He was in good spirits,” he said in the special. “He was perfectly balanced. He was talking to everybody. He was having fun, laughing. So, nothing out of the ordinary.”
Payne’s cause of death was determined to be multiple traumatic injuries, as well as internal and external hemorrhaging. His toxicology results confirmed that he had alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his system at the time of his death, according to a November press release from Argentina’s public prosecutor translated from Spanish.
Dave Benett/Getty Images for Annabel’sIn court documents obtained by TMZ in November, prosecutors claimed Payne, who was open about his struggles with sobriety, spent the day drinking and looking for narcotics. Authorities noted that a friend arrived at his hotel, where the singer was drinking whiskey. Nores previously emphasized he was not under investigation in Payne’s death.
“I never abandoned Liam,” he said in a statement to the Daily Mail last month. “I went to his hotel three times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened. There were over 15 people at the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him when I left.”
“I could have never imagined something like this would happen,” Nores continued. “I’ve given my statement to the prosecutor on October 17 as a witness and I haven’t spoken to any police officer or prosecutor ever since.”
Read on for everything we know about Liam’s death.
Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImageWhen did Liam Payne die?
Liam Payne died in Argentina on Oct. 16, 2024, el Sistema de Atención Médica de Emergencias (SAME) confirmed to Telemundo. He was 31 years old.
Bill McCay/Getty ImagesHow did Liam Payne die?
The singer suffered a fatal fall “from the balcony of the third-floor room of the hotel in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo where he was staying,” according to an Oct. 17 release from the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office No. 14 translated from Spanish to English.
An autopsy was performed, the release continued, and determined Payne died of “multiple trauma” and “internal and external hemorrhage” as a result of the fall.
While the release said that, “as a matter of protocol, the circumstances of the case are being investigated as a ‘doubtful death,'”—meaning there was no conclusive information about the cause of death, per NBC News—it noted that “everything indicates the musician was alone when the fall occurred, and was going through some kind of outbreak due to substance abuse.”
Payne had spoken about his battle with sobriety in the past, sharing in a July 2023 YouTube video that he’d attended treatment for about 100 days and that he hadn’t had a drink in about six months.
JC Olivera/Getty ImagesWhat else did Liam Payne’s autopsy say?
According to the release, coroners reported 25 injuries in Payne’s autopsy that were “compatible with those caused by a fall from height.”
“They also pointed out that the head injuries were sufficient to cause death,” the release continued, “while the internal and external hemorrhages in the skull, thorax, abdomen and limbs contributed to the mechanism of death.”
In addition, the release said forensic experts found “no defensive injuries” after examining the One Direction alum and that “no injuries were observed that would suggest the intervention of third parties.”
Still, questions remained—including about the state Payne may have been in at the time of his fall.
“The prosecution said that, given the position in which the body was left and the injuries from the fall,” the release added, “it is presumed that Payne did not adopt a reflex posture to protect himself and that he could have fallen into a state of semi- or total unconsciousness.”
As medical examiners sought more answers, the release noted, they requested histopathological, biochemical and toxicological studies.
“At this point,” the Oct. 17 release read, “the analysis of the stomach contents, alcohol and toxins in the blood, vitreous humor, bile, nasal swab and urine for the determination of alcohol and toxins was required.”
A preliminary toxicology report revealed Payne had drugs in his system at his time of death, an official with direct knowledge told The New York Times.
Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty ImagesWhat kind of drugs did Liam Payne have in his system?
Toxicology testing revealed he had alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his body, according to a Nov. 7 press release from Argentina’s public prosecutor.
Karwai Tang/WireImageDid Liam Payne die by suicide?
Authorities do not believe he died by suicide, with a Nov. 7 press release from Argentina’s public prosecutor stating that he was not likely to be fully conscious when he fell.
“This situation would also rule out the possibility of a conscious or voluntary act on the part of the victim,” it said via Spanish translation, “since, in the state he was in, he did not know what he was doing nor could he understand it.”
Tim P. Whitby/Tim P. Whitby/Getty ImagesWhat have authorities shared about the events prior to Liam Payne’s fall?
Based on prosecutors’ reconstruction, the Oct. 17 release said, it appears Payne fell from the balcony of his third-floor room at the CasaSur Palermo hotel at 5:07 p.m. local time. “Minutes earlier,” the release continued, the hotel called 911 “to ask for help for a guest who was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and had destroyed some objects in the room.”
“When SAME and officers from the 14B Neighborhood Police Station of the City Police arrived,” the release added, “Payne had already fallen from the balcony of his room and died on the spot due to the severity of his injuries.”
As for what authorities found upon searching the room, the release said police discovered substances that appear to be narcotics and alcoholic beverages—though, it noted at the time confirmation from experts was still needed. The document also stated there were “several destroyed objects and furniture.”
Authorities also looked into who had been in the room before Payne’s fall, with the release noting “five testimonial statements were taken from three hotel workers and two women who, in the hours prior, had been with the musician in his room, but had already left the hotel when the incident occurred.”
“The prosecution said that beyond reconstructing the circumstances of the musician’s death,” the release continued, “the investigation is also aimed at determining the possible involvement of third parties in the events prior to the victim’s death.”
Dave J Hogan/Getty ImagesWhat was said on the 911 call placed before Liam Payne’s death?
In audio of a 911 call obtained by Telemundo from local media in Argentina, a hotel employee can be heard asking authorities for assistance.
“We have a guest who is overindulged in drugs and alcohol,” the caller said, per NBC News’ translation. “Well, when he is conscious he breaks. He is breaking the whole room. Well, we need you to send someone, please.”
The employee then further expressed concern.
“We need someone to be sent to us urgently, because—well, I don’t know if he is at risk,” the individual added. “The guest is in a room that has a balcony and we are a little afraid that he might do something life-threatening.”
The employee did not name Payne on the call. NBC News reached out to Payne’s rep for comment but did not hear back.
Instagram / Katie CassidyHave arrests been made in connection to Liam Payne’s death?
Argentina’s public prosecutor announced Nov. 7 that three people have been charged in the case after “illicit conduct was discovered,” per a press release translated from Spanish.
“The first of the accused is the person who accompanied the artist on a daily basis during his stay in the city of Buenos Aires, who is charged with the crimes of abandonment of a person followed by death,” read the statement. “The second defendant is a hotel employee who must answer for two proven supplies of cocaine to Liam Payne during the period he was at the hotel, and the third, also a drug supplier, is accused of two other clearly proven supplies during two different times on October 14.”
The latter two were each charged with two acts of supplying narcotics.
Gareth Cattermole/MTV EMAs 2017/Getty Images for MTVWhat else has the investigation included?
As the prosecutor’s office noted in its Nov. 7 release, “exhaustive and meticulous actions and measures were taken to clarify the circumstances” around Payne’s death.
These include, the release continued, “several dozen testimonies” from hotel employees, family, friends, medical professionals, biochemists and psychiatrists. What’s more, the release added, a “detailed analysis of more than 800 hours of video footage from various security cameras in the hotel and others on public roads” was conducted.
But that’s not all. “The forensic extraction of the contents of the deceased musician’s cell phone was also carried out,” the release said. “From this, his calls, messages, chats on messaging applications and social networks were analyzed.”
In addition, the release said “several gigabytes of data extracted from other cell phones were obtained and examined, such as that of the hotel reception and those of witnesses who voluntarily offered them to corroborate their statements.”
Other information examined, the release added, included “a record of the guests and orders at the hotel bar/restaurant” to see who visited Payne as well as what they ate and drank.
Plus, the prosecutor’s office said “nine raids were requested at homes” in Buenos Aires.
However, the Nov. 7 release noted “the investigation must continue, since, among other procedures, the unlocking of the victim’s personal netbook – which is broken – and other devices seized in the investigation are still in progress.”
Instagram/Kate CassidyWhat had Liam Payne shared prior to his death?
Payne had been vacationing in Argentina with girlfriend Kate Cassidy and had documented their trip prior to his death.
Photos and videos shared to the “Strip That Down” artist’s Snapchat account showed the couple spending quality time together, eating breakfast, talking about his plans to ride horses and having what he described as a “lovely day” in Argentina days before his fatal fall, per screenshots obtained by NBC News. The final photo shared to Payne’s Snapchat account on the day of his death was a photo of him and Cassidy in their swimsuits.
Payne and Cassidy had noted on social media that she was heading back to Florida to be with their dog Nala while he was staying in Argentina.
“I was so ready to leave,” Cassidy said in an Oct. 14 TikTok video that showed her traveling back to the U.S. “Honestly, love South America but I hate staying in one place for too long. And we were supposed to be there for, like, five days, turned into two weeks, and I was just like, ‘I need to go home.'”
After Payne’s death, Cassidy expressed how she was at a “complete loss” and how “nothing about the past few days have felt real.”
“Liam, my angel,” she wrote in part of an Oct. 18 Instagram post. “You are everything. I want you do know I loved you unconditionally and completely. I will continue to love you for the rest of my life. I love you Liam.”
Dave J Hogan/Getty ImagesWhat has One Direction said about Liam Payne’s death?
After Payne’s death, his One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan expressed their heartache.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” the group wrote on Instagram in a joint message Oct. 17. “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.”
One Direction was formed on The X Factor in 2010, and achieved huge success before the band members parted ways in 2015.
“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever,” Styles, Malik, Tomlinson and Horan continued. “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.”
In addition to the group statement, the four singers released individual tributes.
“The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime,” Horan, who hosted a concert in Buenos Aires on Oct. 2 that Payne had attended, wrote in part of an Oct. 18 Instagram post. “I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.”
Malik also announced on Oct. 19 that he’s postponing the U.S. leg of his tour “given the heartbreaking loss experienced this week.”
Several stars, family members and friends have also honored Payne (read their tributes here).
Mike Marsland/WireImageHas Liam Payne been laid to rest?
Payne’s body was released to his family and flown back to the U.K., the public prosecutor confirmed to the BBC Nov. 6.
A funeral service was held Nov. 20, and his One Direction bandmates were in attendance.
(E!, NBC News and Telemundo are all part of the NBCUniversal family).
