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.

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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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.