Former One Direction member Liam Payne has reportedly passed away at 31.
Reuters reports the singer was found dead outside a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He reportedly fell from the hotel's third floor.
Local newspapers La Nacion and Clarin reported the tragic news on Wednesday (October 16), citing emergency services and officials at the scene.
Ambulance workers later confirmed that Payne died after he was found in an interior hotel patio, reports Reuters.
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The singer was best known as a member of British boyband One Direction.
The group, which also included Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan, first formed in 2010 as part of reality competition show The X Factor.
Born on Aug. 29, 1993 in Wolverhampton, England, Payne first rose to fame after auditioning for The X Factor's fifth season in 2008.
After being placed into a group with Styles, Malik, Tomlinson, and Horan on the show, the fivesome went on to become a global sensation and one of the best-selling boy bands of all time procuring hit after hit like "What Makes You Beautiful" and "Steal My Girl."
The band announced they were taking a hiatus in 2016 after Malik departed the group a year prior. Payne went on to release his own solo projects including his 2019 debut solo album LP1.
Fans are heartbroken and have been pouring in tributes for Payne on social media.
"I feel like most of us are so shocked over Liam Payne's death cause that man once was part of something our 13 year old selfs could never imagine living without. Like why am I actually speechless right now. It's so weird," one fan wrote on Twitter.
"Damn this Liam Payne news got me speechless," another user wrote. "Looked up to [One Direction] 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."
"Liam Payne's death is sad very very sad. He played a role in all our childhoods. Just doesn't seem real... I'm speechless. Rest Easy," said another.
"I feel so unsettled hearing this news — I think it’s because we grew up with him, he’s only our age," wrote another.
Payne is survived by his son, Bear Grey Payne, whom he welcomed with singer Cheryl Cole in 2017.
UNILAD has reached out to representatives of Payne for comment.
Topics: Music, Liam Payne, News
Yasmeen Hamadeh