Liam Payne of One Direction, dies after hotel fall

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Liam Payne, a member of British pop band One Direction, died Wednesday at the age of 31 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Argentina, local authorities said.

Sistema de Atencion Medica de Emergencia said in a statement to Telemundo that Payne fell from the balcony in Palermo.

Police “were directed to the hotel by a 911 call reporting an aggressive man,” the emergency services agency, known as SAME, said. The agency did not say whether drugs or alcohol was involved, just that the 911 call reported that could be the case

The agency confirmed Payne’s death, it said.

Payne, born in Wolverhampton, England, was one of five original members of One Direction, famous for such hits as “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Story of My Life.”

The group, which also includes Niall Horan, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, has been on an indefinite hiatus since 2016. Zayn Malik was a founding member, but left before the group's hiatus.

One Direction formed in 2010 after appearing on the TV show “The X Factor."

One Direction, also known as 1D, shot to fame and in 2014 it launched a huge “Where We Are Tour,” which included concerts in 20 countries and lasted more than five months.

The band sold more than 50 million records overall, and in 2014, it became the first group to have its first four albums debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, according to Billboard.

After One Direction went on hiatus, Payne, like other members including Styles, embarked on a solo career. Payne signed with Republic Records in 2016.

He went into rehab after a 2022 appearance on the Logan Paul podcast in which he was critical of One Direction and former member Malik.

Payne said in a July 8, 2023, video uploaded to YouTube that he was sober and a better dad. He said he hadn't had a drink in six months.

He was nominated for three Brit Awards, twice in 2018 for single and video for “Strip That Down,” and in 2019, for “For You.”

Payne was a father to a son named Bear. Payne shared his son with Cheryl Cole, who was a judge on the reality show when Payne and One Direction were discovered.