A new report has shed light on the shocking circumstances surrounding Liam Payne’s tragic death and detailed the fears he allegedly had before his untimely passing.
The ex-One Direction member, 31, died last month when he fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Mirror reports.
A body with “severe injuries which were incompatible with life” was discovered at around 5pm local time in the hotel’s internal patio, reports stated.
Now there are claims, based on eyewitness accounts and a police report filed subsequently, that Liam was trying to escape his hotel room and had threatened to use the balcony as his exit point. In the courtyard where his body was found, a bag was discovered, implying that he might have been getting ready to vacate his room.
Here we take a closer look at the downward spiral Liam faced before his tragic death and what really happened in his hotel room.
Difficult blows
In the lead up to the incident, Liam experienced several setbacks. Individuals close to him became increasingly concerned as the pop star faced these challenges.
His publicist had stepped down, leaving him sans professional advice during a chaotic period, and rumours abound that he was let go by his record label, Universal Music.
The Daily Mail reported that Payne had been cut from the label just days before he died, with an insider alleging: “Liam’s advance was massive and he didn’t recoup [it]. Out of all of the One Direction boys, Liam was on the wrong path musically.”
Furthermore, plans for his second album release were apparently put on hold. An insider suggested that Liam’s music career, which spanned over eight years, seemed to appear as if it was “crumbling” at the end, and “must have absolutely devastated him”.
His personal turmoil was exacerbated by his ex-fiancée Maya Henry initiating legal action against him following her claims of his repeated attempts to contact her.
Haunting videos with fans
Fans of Liam have shared eerie videos from his last days and final hours as he engaged with them during his trip to Argentina. One TikTok video captures the moment the celebrity greeted fans outside his hotel, where he seemed unsteady and mentioned, “That was a really big squeeze”.
In a different video, he stops for a photo but then appears concerned, furrowing his brow and looking down.
Another snippet reveals Liam requesting a ‘pen’ from fans in order to sign an autograph after realising he didn’t have one on hand. Amidst the confusion with the Spanish word ‘lapicera’, he lightheartedly responded: “I feel like you’re trying to make me say something rude.”
Despite the laughter in the clips, there’s growing concern that Liam may not have been in a good mental state and could have been on a downward spiral.
Lobby conversation
A woman known only as Rebecca, who conversed with Liam for around thirty minutes in the hotel lobby shortly before he passed away, described his demeanour as “desperate” for acknowledgment. She recounted how he introduced himself out loud, without prompting, proclaiming “I’m Liam” to individuals queuing for the elevator.
Later, she observed him returning to the lobby, laptop in hand. According to Rebecca, she speculated that he had seen an email that “upset” him, which prompted his outburst: “Suddenly he took the computer, shouted ‘f**k this s**t mate! ‘ and started bashing the computer on the ground.”
She described the singer’s behaviour as “out of place”, noticing it visibly “shocked” bystanders in the “high-end” hotel. Showing concern, Rebecca approached him to check if he was alright, but he merely grunted in response.
She continued, “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’.”
His candid confession left her stunned, and she witnessed him stumbling back into the lift, while a “British guy” stepped in to apologise for the incident.
Hotel staff fears
Hotel staff were understandably worried. They reportedly escorted Liam to his room using a master key and decided to remove a mirror from outside his door for fear he might break it.
Not long after, a hotel employee felt the urgency to call 911, voicing concerns that because the room featured a balcony, the singer could potentially try to make a dangerous escape. The head of reception stated over the phone, “I don’t know if the guest’s life is in danger. The room has a balcony and we are afraid he might do something. Just send an ambulance, only an ambulance.”
Leather bag
After being left alone by the hotel employees, Liam seemingly tried to devise an escape route that involved the balcony, which tragically led to his fall. When found, his body had a leather bag strapped over his shoulder, a detail to note considering he didn’t have it when initially assisted to the lift by staff.
The investigation indicates Liam may have meticulously planned his descent. A second-floor hotel guest found a leather bag—packed with pills, a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and a note labelled ‘for Liam’ on their balcony—which the police believe was part of his initial escape plan, rather than being the bag found beside his body.
Officers have dismissed the idea of suicide, suggesting instead that Liam was likely “semi or total unconsciousness” when he fell. Substance-induced ‘psychotic episode’ is thought to be linked to the sad event.
Hotel fears
TMZ reports that people who knew Liam spoke of his dislike of being trapped in hotel rooms, an issue harking back to his times with One Direction. Speaking on The Diary of a CEO podcast in 2021, Liam himself acknowledged: “My dad said it from day one – lonely hotel rooms, man – getting locked in that room is not fun when you’ve been exposed.”
His aversion to confinement reportedly led to a previous escape attempt from a Florida hotel room balcony where he had been restricted by security over concerns of potential drug use.
During this earlier incident, it’s alleged the 31 year old tried to make his escape using a garden hose to lower himself down. Liam’s struggle with substances has become public knowledge with these recent incidents coming to light.
Substance struggles
Liam had reportedly overcome his drug use in the months leading up to his untimely passing, yet it appears he relapsed into substance abuse just prior to his death. Early toxicology results indicate “alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants” were present in Liam’s system.
Moreover, a search of Liam’s hotel room revealed “what appeared to be narcotics, alcohol, destroyed objects and furniture”, detectives have disclosed.
Authentic images believed to showcase the interior of the room where Liam spent his last moments have been verified by reputable news sources La Nacion and Clarin.
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