The sister of One Direction member Liam Payne shared a heartfelt message to him on Saturday, in the latest poignant tribute from around the world following his death earlier this week.

In a statement directly addressed to her late brother, who died Wednesday in Argentina, Ruth Gibbins said she does not “feel this world was good enough or kind enough to you”.

“My brain is struggling to catch up with what’s happening and I don’t understand where you’ve gone,” she posted on Instagram.

“Quite often over the last few years, you’ve had to really try hard to overcome all that was being aimed at you.

“You just wanted to be loved and to make people happy with your music,” she added.

On Friday, Liam Payne’s father visited the Buenos Aires hotel where his son plunged to his death from a third-floor balcony two days earlier, thanking fans gathered nearby in a shared moment of grief.

After landing in the Argentine capital that morning, Geoff Payne also visited the morgue where the body of his 31-year-old son was being kept pending the results of toxicological tests.

Meanwhile reactions continued to stream in, including from Girls Aloud star Cheryl Tweedy, Payne’s former partner and the mother of their seven-year-old boy, Bear.

She called his death an “earth shattering event”.

In a social media message, Tweedy hit out at “abhorrent reports and media exploitation” following Payne’s passing, which were causing “further harm to everyone left behind picking up the pieces”.

“Before you leave comments or make videos, ask yourself if you would like your own child or family to read them,” she said.

“Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last.”

Payne died from “multiple traumas” and “internal and external haemorrhaging” after falling from the balcony of his room at the Casa Sur hotel in central Buenos Aires, an autopsy found.

Investigators said he appeared to have been “going through an episode of substance abuse.”

Among others to pay tribute on Friday was Simon Cowell, the creator of and judge on “The X Factor” show that launched One Direction in 2010.

Cowell said he was “truly devastated”, in an Instagram post also spoke directly to Payne.

“I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you,” he said.

“I watched you spending so much time with people who had wanted to meet you. You really cared.”

Cowell added that a meeting with Payne last year reminded him “that you were still the sweet, kind boy I had met all of those years ago.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Buenos Aires:

One Direction pop star Liam Payne died of multiple traumas and internal bleeding after plunging from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, prosecutors said on Thursday, adding an initial search suggested the fall came after substance abuse.

Payne, 31, who shot to global fame with the boy band, was found dead after he fell from a third-floor hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, triggering an outpouring of fan tributes.

In the first official details of the autopsy, the prosecutors office said coroners had found 25 injuries compatible with those caused by a fall from height, including fatal head injuries, with internal and external bleeding.

It added that there were no signs of a third party being involved, though the incident was being investigated as a “suspicious death” out of protocol.

“Everything indicates that the musician was alone when the fall occurred, and was going through some kind of episode due to substance abuse,” the prosecutors office said.

“City police who surveyed the scene found substances inside the room that at first glance – and pending confirmation from the experts – would be narcotics and alcoholic beverages, as well as several destroyed objects and furniture,” it added.

Police earlier said in a statement they had found the room in “total disorder” in a search after his death, with various things smashed and medications scattered around.

While details surrounding his death remain unclear, Payne had spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health and using alcohol to cope with the pressures of fame.

WHISKEY, ANXIETY MEDICATION

The city police said that in the atrium of the hotel where Payne had fallen they had found a bottle of whiskey, a lighter and a cellphone. They said they had collected fingerprints from those.

In the room of the luxury hotel in the city’s trendy Palermo district, police said they found over-the-counter medications, energy packs and anxiety drug Clonazepam.

“Upon entering, total disorder was observed, with various elements broken,” the police said in a statement, adding they had taken more fingerprints and other evidence to be analyzed in labs, as well as a notebook and passport.

“The balcony area was inspected in order to establish access to it,” the police force added.

Before Payne’s fall, a hotel employee had called emergency services, asking for help with a guest who was trashing his room and appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, audio obtained from the Buenos Aires security ministry showed.

“We have a guest who is intoxicated by drugs and alcohol. And, well, he’s … When he’s conscious, he breaks, he’s breaking the whole room. And, well, we need you to send someone, please,” the hotel worker told police in the 911 call.

“We need you to send someone urgently because, well, I don’t know if the guest’s life is at risk. He is in a room with a balcony. And, well, we are a little afraid that he will do something that will put his life at risk.”

One Direction found global success after Simon Cowell brought together Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson on Britain’s X Factor talent show in 2010.

They went on to sell 70 million records, with six top-10 hits on Billboard’s Hot 100, including “What Makes You Beautiful”, “Story of My Life” and “Live While We’re Young”. Payne’s co-writing credits included “Story of My Life” and “Night Changes”.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Buenos Aires, Argentina:

Liam Payne, who rose to fame as a member of the boy band One Direction has died at the age of 31. The British singer fell to his death from the third-floor balcony of Hotel CasaSur Palermo in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Payne was pronounced dead by the medics on the spot. He is survived by his son Bear Grey Payne with his ex-girlfriend Cheryl, his parents and two older sisters. Liam Payne’s death is shrouded in suspicions and conspiracies given the circumstances of his death. Drugs, alcohol and an aggressive intruder have been mentioned by Argentine officials and various media agencies.

An investigation is being carried out and nothing can be said for sure at the moment, but what’s certain is that the music world has lost a star, and One Direction’s loyal fans, who fashion themselves as Directioners, a part of their teenage years.

A fresh-faced Liam Payne first appeared on the British reality show X Factor in 2008. He was all of 14 when he impressed the judges with his cover of ‘Fly Me To The Moon’. However, the judges told him he wasn’t ready yet and to try again later.

That’s exactly what Payne did. He auditioned two years hence with another classic, ‘Cry Me A River’. This time around, the judges saw the X factor in him. They decided to keep five boys in the show, who had failed to make it through individually, by forming a band. And that is how the iconic One Direction was born.

Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson came together to form one of the most successful bands. They didn’t win X Factor but were signed by judge Simon Cowell’s label. When their debut single “What Makes You Beautiful” came out, the band’s rivals knew they needed to watch out.

The song was an instant hit and became number one on the British charts. This was only the first of their four UK chart-toppers in as many years. Soon stadiums full of screaming teenage fans and millions of record sales became the norm.

Suddenly Liam was living his childhood dream, but it came at a cost, and a hefty one at that. Pressure mounted on the band and tensions brewed. A lot was going on backstage and as the band members have described – “it wasn’t easy being a teenager in the public eye”.

As a result, One Direction split-up in 2016. A level-headed Liam, who was otherwise described as “The sensible one” in the group, turned to alcohol to cope. In the post-One Direction era, Liam decided to go solo and started releasing singles.

However, his solo career struggled to maintain momentum. His health suffered too, both physically and mentally. Liam had to be admitted to a hospital twice in 2023 because his kidney needed medical attention. He also spent time in rehab, making efforts to end his alcohol addiction.

The singer’s social media posts suggest he was making an effort to get back on track.

As recently as a few hours before he was found dead, Liam Payne had shared a Snapchat video from his hotel room where everything seemed fine.

Fans are left heartbroken and shocked by his untimely death. Thousands of fans, many in tears, gathered outside the hotel with flowers and candles to pay homage to the singer. With his death, the hope of seeing One Direction regroup one last time shall remain a dream unfulfilled.

One cannot help but recall the lyrics to his song Live Forever – “I was always gonna live fast, die young”. Farewell, Liam, may you rest in peace.
 

Buenos Aires:

British singer Liam Payne, a former member of the group One Direction, died Wednesday aged 31 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Argentina, police in Buenos Aires said.

“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,” a police statement said.

Boy band sensation One Direction emerged in 2010 when then-teenagers Payne, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik appeared on British television contest “The X Factor.”

In 2016, the group announced it was going on an indefinite hiatus, but not splitting up.

Payne announced he was working on a solo album that same year, following in the footsteps of other band members.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)