Liam Payne: Singer had cocaine in his body at time of death, official says
An initial toxicology report has found former One Direction star Liam Payne had cocaine in his body at the time of his death, according to an Argentine official.
The 31-year-old pop star died after he fell from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last Wednesday.
A preliminary toxicology report handed to local prosecutors suggested evidence of exposure to cocaine, the official said.
They stressed the initial results do not offer an accurate reading of how much of the drug was circulating in his blood when he died.
The final toxicology results are not expected to be made public for several weeks.
Geoff Payne visited the hotel where his son died. Pic: Reuters
Argentine investigators found what appeared to be narcotics and alcohol strewn around broken objects and furniture in Payne’s hotel room, leading the public prosecution to surmise he had suffered a substance abuse-induced breakdown around the time of his fall.
The prosecution said Payne could have been in a state of “semi or total unconsciousness” when he fell from his hotel balcony. Payne suffered “extremely serious injuries” after landing in the courtyard of the CasaSur Hotel, police said.
Minutes before his death, the hotel’s desk manager told a 911 operator there was “a guest drunk with drugs and alcohol” who was “breaking everything in the room”.
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One Direction in 2010. Pic: Rex Features
The singer, who achieved global fame with boy band One Direction, had acknowledged struggling with alcoholism, saying in a YouTube video posted in July 2023 that he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment.
The singer had flown to Buenos Aires to attend a concert by his former bandmate Niall Horan at the Movistar Arena earlier this month.
Horan, along with other former One Direction members Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, put out a statement saying they were “completely devastated” following Payne’s death, while Simon Cowell – who mentored the band on The X Factor and later signed them to his Syco label – said he was “truly devastated” and felt “empty”.
Girls Aloud singer Cheryl, who was in a relationship with Payne between 2016 and 2018, and had a son, Bear, with him in 2017, also spoke of her heartbreak on Friday and hit out at “abhorrent” reports surrounding his death.
In a joint statement, Payne’s family said they were “heartbroken” by his death, adding: “Liam will forever live in our hearts, and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul”.
Payne’s father, Geoff, had flown to Argentina to arrange the return of his son’s body to the UK, which Argentine authorities expect to release next week.
Entertainment
Snoop Dogg becomes co-owner and investor of Swansea football club saying it’s ‘an underdog just like me’
Police are taking no further action over Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury.
Officers said they had investigated “comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecap’s performance” at the festival on 28 June.
However, after Crown Prosecution Service advice, they decided there is not enough evidence “to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.
The Avon & Somerset force started investigating the Irish group’s show last month, as well as comments by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
It said they were looking at a possible public order incident.
Police said on Friday that the investigation into Bob Vylan’s performance was ongoing.
The London duo were widely criticised – and caused a BBC crisis – after leading on-stage chants of “death to the IDF” (Israel Defence Forces).
Kneecap’s Liam Og O Hannaidh appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June. Pic: PA
Kneecap posted a photograph on Instagram, which the group said was an email from police announcing the case was being dropped.
They said their packed Glastonbury gig was a “celebration of love and solidarity” and reporting used “wildly misleading headlines”.
Fears over what Kneecap might do or say during the performance had prompted the BBC not to show it live.
The group said: “Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close… yet the police saw fit to publicly announce they were opening an investigation.”
“There is no public apology, they don’t send this to media or post it on police accounts,” they added.
The police statement on Friday said they had informed Kneecap of their decision to drop the case.
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One of the group’s members appeared in court in June charged with a terror offence.
Liam Og O hAnnaidh is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year.
He was released on unconditional bail ahead of a second court appearance in August.
Entertainment
Tomorrowland: ‘Devastating’ blaze destroys main stage at major festival – two days before it was due to begin
A huge fire has destroyed the main stage of a major festival in Belgium – two days before it was due to begin.
Tomorrowland is a dance music event as big as Glastonbury – and David Guetta was due to perform.
Footage showed flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday.
The fire gutted the main stage
Fire crews attempt to bring the blaze under control
The annual festival in the town of Boom, north of Brussels, is one of the biggest in Europe and attracts about 400,000 people over two consecutive weekends.
It is famous for its immersive and elaborate designs and attracts big names within dance music – including Guetta, best known for tracks When Love Takes Over and Titanium.
Dutch DJs Martin Garrix and Charlotte de Witte were also due to perform, along with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and Alok.
Black smoke could be seen rising into the sky
The festival’s website described the creative elements which went into the elaborate main stage.
The theme, described as Orbyz, was “set in a magical universe made entirely out of ice” and “full of mythical creatures”.
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Organisers said no one was injured in the blaze but confirmed “our beloved main stage has been severely damaged”, adding they were “devastated”.
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen added: “We received some truly terrible news today. A fire broke out on the Tomorrowland site … and our main stage was essentially destroyed there, which is truly awful.
“That’s a stage that took years to build, with so much love and passion. So I think a lot of people are devastated.”
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told reporters ‘a lot of people are devastated’
Despite the fire, Tomorrowland organisers said they were still expecting 38,000 festivalgoers at DreamVille, the event’s campsite.
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