One Direction singer Liam Payne, who rose to international fame as part of one of the world’s most successful boy bands, died Wednesday after a tragic fall from a hotel in Argentina.
Payne, 31, fell from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, according to Clarin, the country’s largest newspaper. The paper reported that police were already on the scene before his death, following reports of an aggressive man possibly under the influence.
Liam Payne had been open for years about his struggles with alcoholism, but told English newspapers last year he’d gotten sober.
At the height of their fame One Direction was one of the biggest musical acts in the world; in 2016, Forbes ranked the band the world’s second-largest celebrity earners, behind only Taylor Swift.
Payne found himself in the limelight for his musical success – but also courted controversy for his romances and behavior.
He was famously accused by Playboy Bunnies Carla and Melissa Howe of spraying booze and throwing cake at a nightclub, among other alleged antics over the course of his career.
But none of that overshadowed his enduring popularity among his fans and peers, many of whom paid tribute Wednesday night and lamented his untimely death.