A woman who had a brief conversation with the late One Direction star Liam Payne was taken aback when he confessed that being in a boyband had left him “f***ed up”.
The 31 year-old was staying at a luxury hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, when he tragically fell from his third-floor balcony.
A fan described him as being eager to be recognised, claiming he introduced himself unasked, shouting “I’m Liam”, to a line of guests waiting for the lift, who were indifferent to his identity.
She said that Liam returned to the lobby with his laptop and was using the “accessibility setting” that read out the emails he was checking, seemingly for attention, according to the woman known only as Rebecca.
Assuming he’d seen an email that upset him, Rebecca said: “Suddenly he took the computer, shouted ‘f**k this s**t mate! ‘ and started bashing the computer on the ground.”
His unusual behaviour shocked those present in the upscale hotel, but concerned, Rebecca asked if he was alright. She explained: “But he just kind of grunted. Then he said ‘I used to be in a boyband. That’s why I’m so f**ked up’.”
Stunned by his confession, she watched him re-enter the lift, before a “British guy” apologised to the group on his behalf, saying Liam “gets so high” sometimes, reports the Mirror.
The witness said he seemed to be under the influence of drugs, and was behaving aggressively, but not towards anyone.
She revealed he stumbled back into the lobby, where staff assisted him into the elevator. Tragically, half an hour later, emergency services were called to the Casa Sur hotel following Liam’s fall from his third-floor balcony.
This morning, Argentinian authorities have shed more light on the events following his death.
It has been reported that the singer “jumped from the balcony” of his hotel room in Argentina, leading to his fatal descent.
In a statement to The Associated Press, the police said that the father of one “had jumped from the balcony of his room,” addressing speculations around the nature of the fall or any criminal activity.
The sorrowful event unfolded while Payne was vacationing in Buenos Aires with his partner Kate Cassidy, where he also supported former bandmate Niall Horan at a gig.
An initial post-mortem reports that Payne suffered “multiple traumas” resulting in “internal and external bleeding”. His fellow One Direction members have expressed deep loss over their “brother”, acknowledging they are “devastated”.
A shared statement from “Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry” mourned the departure of Liam Payne: “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.”
Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily Showbiz newsletter here.