Right before singer Liam Payne died Wednesday in Argentina, a hotel worker called emergency services to report that Payne had “too much” drugs and alcohol and was trashing his hotel room.
“We need you to send someone urgently because, well, I don’t know if the guest’s life is in danger,” the hotel employee said in the 911 call. CBS News translated the audio to English.
“He is in a room with a balcony, and we’re a little afraid that he might do something that would put his life at risk,” the hotel’s head receptionist said.
Payne, a former member of the boy band One Direction, died after falling about 43 feet from a balcony at Casa Sur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires. He was 31 years old.
The hotel employee called the police just after 5 p.m. First responders found Payne gravely injured as a result of the fall. According to the Argentina National Prosecutor’s Office, “it is presumed that Payne did not adopt a reflex posture to protect himself and that he could have fallen into a state of semi- or total unconsciousness.” Narcotics and alcohol were found in Payne’s hotel room, as well as “several destroyed objects and furniture.”
Payne has been open about his alcohol and drug use in the past. In 2019, he told Men’s Health he struggled with alcohol addiction and his mental health and that in 2023 he celebrated being 100 days sober.
On a podcast in 2021, Payne said he “didn’t like” himself “very much” during the early days of One Direction and that those days were filled with “pills and booze” and “moments of suicidal ideation.”
“When we were in the band, the best way to secure us because of how big it got was just lock us in our rooms,” Payne said on the podcast. “And, of course, what’s in the room? Mini bar. So at a certain point, I thought, ‘Well, I’m going to have a party for one,’ and that just seemed to carry on for many years in my life.”
In a statement, Payne’s family said they are “heartbroken.”
“Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” the statement said, according to the BBC. “We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”