Fans left reeling from Liam Payne’s death — and disturbing online talk

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In Buenos Aires, fans learning about the sudden death of former One Direction singer Liam Payne on Wednesday gathered outside of the hotel where the 31-year old pop star died, lighting candles and clinging to one another as local news reporters surrounded them. In the United Kingdom, many of the British boy group’s devoted “Directioners” had already turned in for the night, sleeping as their phones dinged with group-chat notifications. Meanwhile in Australia, fans were waking up to a new day that swiftly darkened as they poured their coffee and checked their news feeds.

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As reports of Payne’s death spread around the world, fans found themselves reeling not only from the loss of one of the 2010s’ most admired pop figures, but also from the grimly 2020s way in which the news of the tragedy was disseminated.

Many, who were glued to their feeds following initial reports beginning around 5 p.m. in Argentina, were met with apparently real leaked photos of Payne’s body as well as graphic videos falsely claiming to show the moment the artist fell to his death from a third-floor hotel balcony. Meanwhile, other posts surfaced recent harassment allegations against Payne by his former partner. And surreally, new, apparently pre-scheduled video posts of Payne appeared on his own Snapchat even as fans processed reports of his death.

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The disturbing discourse surrounding the sudden shock of Payne’s death complicated the mourning process for fans.

“The way he went was so horrible,” said Kaelin Moos, a 23-year-old language and cultural assistant in Seville, Spain, who was featured in a 2017 iHeartRadio video with Payne. “I know he had struggles, and it just pains me that it happened like this.”

According to reports, police rushed to the CasaSur Palermo hotel in response to an emergency call around 5 p.m. local time warning of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.” Local authorities told the Associated Press that Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room.”

Buenos Aires police said in a statement that Payne had fallen from the third floor of his hotel balcony, resulting in “extremely serious injuries.” Medics confirmed his death at the scene and authorities are investigating the circumstances of his death, according to Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel.

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On Thursday afternoon, Payne’s former One Direction bandmates, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, released a joint statement on his death: “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.

“For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us,” the band members said. “We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”

While the story was still developing on Wednesday, cropped photos of Payne’s body on a wooden deck of the hotel were published by TMZ, showing portions of the singer’s arms and waist.

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“We’re not showing the whole body, but you can clearly see his tattoo – a clock on his left forearm, and a scorpion on his abdomen,” TMZ reported. The post triggered a massive outcry online, prompting the outlet to remove the photos hours later.

“Unfortunately, the first story that a lot of people were seeing was that awful TMZ article with the photos,” said Georgia Carroll, a fan culture expert based in Sydney. “The algorithmic feeds [showed] a lot more things that are going viral, things that are a bit more click-baity [and] things that are more designed to spark reaction than the authentic grief I was seeing from fans in my more curated feeds.”

The images were still circulating on social media Thursday – along with photos reported to show a trashed hotel room belonging to Payne and video of the fall.

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Adding to the confusion: New Snapchats continued appearing on Payne’s account after his death was first reported. According to the Daily Beast, the posts were scheduled in advance, but it gave some fans hope that reports of his death were untrue.

When Kellie Chudzinski, a 27-year-old content creator in Los Angeles, saw an initial posts on X from Argentine media, she held out hope that the news was a false rumor that went viral. “Obviously that’s not what happened,” she said.

Payne and his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, had been vacationing in Argentina and attended a concert of his former bandmate Horan in Buenos Aires on Oct. 2.

In since-deleted Snapchats hours before his death, Payne shared selfie videos and his plans to spend the day riding horses and playing polo with Cassidy.

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Also surfacing online were clips from a recent podcast interview with Payne’s former fiancée, Maya Henry, in which she discussed pushback from one of his friends over her novel that detailed a fictional, volatile romance between a young model and a boy band member.

Henry, 23, said the friend told her that Payne wasn’t “doing well” and warned her not to release the book, which published in May. (On Monday, The Sun reported that Henry had sent Payne a cease-and-desist letter, accusing him of harassment since their breakup in 2022.)

Over the years, Payne opened up about his mental health issues and substance abuse, which he said began when he was part of One Direction and “seemed to carry on throughout many years of my life.” Last year, he revealed that he had checked into a sobriety treatment program for 100 days.

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“I think that’s the complicated feeling a lot of fans are dealing with – acknowledging his struggles … while also grieving your fandom with him,” Carroll said. “A lot of these allegations only came out in full force over the past week or two. So it’s all been very fresh.”

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But Carroll worries that those troubles have eclipsed Payne’s career and achievements in music. “It’s almost like every tribute has had an asterisk next to it.”

In 2010, Payne joined One Direction – alongside Horan, Styles, Malik and Tomlinson – after auditioning for “The X Factor,” a British reality TV music competition. The group saw record-breaking success as the only band to debut at No. 1 with its first four albums.

Fans who considered Payne their favourite member of the group shared what made him so unique.

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“He had a way of making everyone in the room feel special, and he was just always so kind and going out of his way to make sure he connected with you,” whether in person, online or through his music, Moos said. It “helped so many people feel seen.”

Chudzinski said learning about bullying that Payne faced in school made her feel connected to him and the band, because she had similar experiences. Chudzinski found comfort listening to him in the band.

“They are and will always be woven into the fabric of my memories and experiences and dreams and obsessions and joy during that time,” she said.

After One Direction disbanded in 2016, Payne pursued a solo career, releasing his debut album “LP1” in 2019.

In 2017, he welcomed a son, Bear, with singer and television personality Cheryl Tweedy.

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In a statement, Payne’s family said, “[W]e are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.’’

In addition to the statement issued by the former bandmates together on Thursday, Malik and Tomlinson posted tributes to Payne.

Malik posted a note to Payne from his Instagram account, reflecting on their relationship. “I can’t help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives,” Malik wrote. “I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life.”

Tomlinson shared another statement, in which he highlighted Payne’s role in the band. “And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction,” Tomlinson wrote. “His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam.”

Fellow entertainers, including Charlie Puth, Paris Hilton and Juicy J, expressed their shock and sadness about the news.

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