The entertainment industry is devastated after the death of One Direction’s Liam Payne, who died on Wednesday, aged 31, after falling from his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
Charlie Puth, who worked with Payne on his 2017 single “Bedroom Floor”, said in his Instagram Story: "Liam was always so kind to me. He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I can not believe he is gone. (sic)"
Paris Hilton also wrote on X: "So upsetting to hear the news of @LiamPayne passing. Sending love and condolences to his family and loved ones. [prayer emoji] RIP my friend [crying emoji] (sic)".
@Spotify posted: “We are deeply saddened by the news of Liam Payne's passing. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the many fans who loved and supported him.”
@corbynbesson added: “Damn this Liam Payne news got me speechless… looked up to 1D so much during the wdw days. you really never know when it’s your time to go. remind your friends/family that you love them today and every day.”
Payne joined One Direction as a teenager, after auditioning on the UK version of “The X Factor”. He was part of the band with Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.
The English popstar enjoyed huge success as part of the group and he embarked on a solo career after the band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.
He released one studio album, two EPs, 14 singles and nine music videos. Some of his hits include his debut single "Strip That Down", which features American rapper Quavo, as well as "Familiar" and "First Time".
The singer fell from his balcony on the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in the Argentine capital.
Local authorities have since launched an investigation into Payne's death and are conducting an autopsy.
Buenos Aires police said in a statement: "Liam James Payne, composer and guitarist, former member of the band One Direction, died today after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Palermo."
Alberto Crescenti, the head of the state emergency medical system, also confirmed that the pop star fell into an internal courtyard at the hotel.
He told Argentina's Todo Noticias TV channel: "A few minutes later [an] emergency team arrived and confirmed the death of this man who we later learned was from a musical group.
"He had injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall. There was no way to do anything."
Payne previously admitted to hitting "rock bottom" amid his struggles with fame and addiction.
He said on the “Diary of a CEO” podcast in 2021: "I was worried how far my rock bottom was going to be. Where’s rock bottom for me? And you would never have seen it. I’m very good at hiding it. No one would ever have seen it.
"There is some stuff that I have definitely never, never spoken about. It was really, really, really severe. And it was a problem. And it was only until I saw myself after that, I was like ‘Right, I need to fix myself'."
He also explained to the “Guardian” newspaper in 2019: "Doing a show to however many thousands of people, then being stuck by yourself in a country where you can’t go out anywhere – what else are you going to do? The minibar is always there."
Payne also attended therapy for two years after One Direction announced their musical break in 2016.
Payne admitted that he initially struggled to deal with life away from the group.
"It was difficult at the start, because I didn’t really know anything about myself. It was a bit of a numb feeling," he added to the “Guardian”.
On his struggles with fame, he also previously told the BBC: "It was very erratic behaviour on my part - I was partying too hard.
"It was a tough little time. My family was very worried."
The musician also acknowledged that he turned to alcohol in a bid to "mask [his] feelings".
He added to the BBC: "I was coming off the back-end of a breakup, so I was dealing with all sorts of emotions that I hadn't dealt with in a long time because I was always covering them up - heartbreak, nerves, all sorts of things.
"I'd gotten too used to this rhythm of life; of using alcohol and different things to mask my feelings, or get me through."
Meanwhile, Payne, who recently attended one of Niall Horan's concerts in Argentina, posted on social media hours before he fell to his death.
Speaking about his plans for the day, Payne told his Snapchat followers: "Today, we ride. We're going to ride some horses.
"Think I'm going to play polo again, which is going to put me out of action for about six weeks.
"It's so hard to do, number one, my back and my neck from swinging that hammer around ... or mallet, I think it's called if you're in the know. It hurts a lot, it's very tough to do."
∎ Additional reporting by Karishma Dipa.