Liam Payne’s family said they’re heartbroken after the musician fell to his death from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Payne, who belonged to the wildly successful band One Direction before its members split up to pursue solo careers in 2016, was 31.
“We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” the family said in a statement to PA Media, the U.K. and Ireland’s national news agency. “We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
Other tributes poured in from the music and entertainment world. Musician Charlie Puth shared a photo of himself and Payne on Instagram, writing that he was “in shock” after hearing about Payne’s death. Puth contributed to Payne’s 2017 song “Bedroom Floor.”
“Liam was always so kind to me,” Puth wrote. “He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I can not believe he is gone.”
Former One Direction guitarist Dan Richards said on Instagram that Payne’s death “feels so surreal” and that he is “still trying to wrap my head around it all.”
Payne had been spotted in Argentina attending a concert of former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan on Oct. 2. Horan and other One Direction members Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik have not yet released a statement about Payne’s death.
A spokesperson for the Buenos Aires police told CBS News that officers responded to the Casasur Palermo Hotel after reports of an “aggressive man” who may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol on Wednesday night. Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office said that it seized “a series of substances” from Payne’s room.
Argentine Director of Emergency Medical Services Alberto Crescenti told CBS News that an ambulance arrived about seven minutes after Payne fell from a third-floor balcony. His body was found in a hotel courtyard, local police said.
An autopsy was conducted late Wednesday night. It found that Payne died of “multiple trauma” and “internal and external hemorrhage,” according to the prosecutor’s office.
Crescenti declined to answer questions about the incident, including whether Payne jumped from the balcony or fell by accident, The Associated Press reported. The Buenos Aires police spokesperson said that Payne “had thrown himself from the balcony of his room.”
Payne is survived by his 7-year-old son.
