Former One Direction singer Liam Payne has passed away at the age of 31.
In an update, authorities in Argentina now confirm his death as an apparent suicide. Local police in Buenos Aires told The Associated Press that Payne “jumped from the balcony of his room” on the third floor of his hotel.
A preliminary autopsy revealed he suffered multiple injuries, including internal and external bleeding, with the toxicology report still pending.
The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon when Payne fell onto the pool deck below his room. While law enforcement believes he jumped, the exact events inside his hotel room leading up to the fall remain unclear.
Prior to his death, a hotel employee made an emergency call, expressing concern that Payne was “overwhelmed” by drugs and alcohol. Photos from inside his room revealed a chaotic scene with a smashed television and other broken items scattered across the floor.
Liam was a big wrestling fan and even had a memorable moment in the ring. In 2013, he wrestled Kurt Angle as part of the promotion for One Direction’s “Midnight Memories” album during the 1 D Day event.
Angle tweeted the following about Payne’s death:
“RIP @LiamPayne… it was an honor to step in the ring with you during 1 D Day!”
You can watch their match below:
TNA Wrestling tweeted the following:
“We join the world in mourning Liam Payne – a wonderful man and artist.
Liam was a huge wrestling fan and we were honoured to be able to work with him on 1D Day when he wrestled, and beat, Kurt Angle.”