Five people have been charged in connection with the death of former One Direction star Liam Payne in Argentina, according to the country’s prosecutor’s office. The British singer fell from the balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires in October, at age 31. Those charged include a person identified as Payne’s representative, the hotel manager, and its head of reception, all facing manslaughter charges. If convicted, they could face up to five years in prison. Additionally, a hotel employee and a local waiter have been charged with supplying Payne with cocaine, with potential sentences of up to 15 years in prison.
Judge Laura Bruniard concluded that Payne, due to intoxication, mistook the balcony for an exit, leading to his accidental fall. Payne had alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his system, as revealed by Argentine prosecutors. Evidence from expert reports, testimonies, and hotel footage showed Payne in an intoxicated state in the hotel lobby minutes before his fall on October 16. The judge noted that at 4:54 p.m., Payne was unconscious in the hotel reception and was moved to his room by three individuals. The hotel manager allegedly witnessed this and allowed Payne to be taken to a room with a balcony, posing a risk to him. The receptionist is accused of directing the group moving Payne to his room. Payne’s representative reportedly left the hotel 50 minutes before Payne’s fall, despite being aware of his vulnerable state.
The representative, who is American, has been barred from leaving Argentina. The judge determined that the accused did not act together or in a premeditated manner. Those charged with supplying narcotics are to remain in preventive detention. Payne had publicly discussed his struggles with substance abuse and mental health. He celebrated six months of sobriety in the summer of 2023 after treatment in a US facility. His South American tour, scheduled for September 2023, was postponed due to a kidney infection. Payne’s death shocked the music world, as he was a member of One Direction, a band formed on the British X Factor in 2010. The group went on indefinite hiatus in 2016. Payne’s former bandmates attended his funeral in Amersham, along with music mogul Simon Cowell. Before his death, Payne was seen at a concert by his former bandmate Niall Horan in Argentina. On the night of October 16, hotel staff requested police assistance due to Payne’s state, as revealed in an emergency call obtained by CNN’s Argentina affiliate, Todo Noticias.
