Buenos Aires — The Buenos Aires Security Ministry and Argentinian State Police confirmed on Thursday that clonazepam and a white powder were discovered in Liam Payne’s hotel room after his tragic death. According to authorities, broken objects were also found in the room.
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The white powder is currently undergoing analysis, as stated by the State Police.
“Clonazepam is a benzodiazepine drug used for the acute treatment of panic disorder, epilepsy, and nonconvulsive status epilepticus,” according to StatPearls, an online medical library published by the National Library of Medicine.
Frantic Call for Help Before Payne’s Death
In a recording obtained by media, the hotel’s desk manager can be heard urgently requesting emergency services to send help, fearing for Payne’s safety. The worker was concerned that the singer, who was in a room with a balcony, could potentially endanger himself.
“We need to send someone with urgency because I don’t know if the guest’s life is in danger,” the manager told emergency services on Wednesday evening.
Payne was later found in the inner courtyard of the hotel, where he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Alberto Crescenti, director of SAME, Buenos Aires Emergency Medical Services.
Reports of Drugs and Alcohol in Payne’s Room
In the emergency call, the hotel manager reported that Payne had been consuming drugs and alcohol and had caused damage to his hotel room. “We have a guest drunk with drugs and alcohol,” the manager said. “When he is conscious, he is breaking everything in the room.”
While Argentinian authorities have not officially confirmed any drug use at the time of Payne’s death, photographs obtained by U.K. media appear to show drug paraphernalia and evidence of destruction, including a broken television. The Argentinian authorities confirmed that these images were taken by federal law enforcement from Payne’s room after the incident.
Preliminary Autopsy Findings
A preliminary autopsy report from the Argentinian Public Prosecutor’s Office revealed that Payne died from “multiple traumas” and “internal and external bleeding” as a result of his fall from the hotel balcony. The autopsy recorded 25 injuries on Payne’s body, indicating that the trauma to his head was severe enough to be fatal. The cause of death was directly linked to the height of his fall—between 42 and 45 feet.
There were no signs of a struggle, and the report confirmed that Payne was alone in his hotel room at the time of the fall. Additional test results, including toxicological, biochemical, and histopathological exams, are expected in the coming days.
Payne’s Journey to Sobriety and His Solo Career
In 2023, Payne shared in a YouTube video that he had been sober for six months following nearly 100 days at a rehab facility in Louisiana.
The singer, who was staying at the CasaSur Hotel in Palermo, Buenos Aires, fell from a balcony. Emergency services arrived at the scene just seven minutes after the emergency call but were unable to save Payne, with authorities stating that his injuries were “very serious” and “incompatible with life.”
From One Direction to a Solo Star
Liam Payne first rose to fame as part of One Direction, the band formed in 2010 on the X Factor. Alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson, Payne became an international star before the group announced a hiatus in 2015. He launched his solo career soon after, releasing Strip That Down in 2017 and his debut album LP1 in 2019.
By the time he was 29, Payne had expressed that he felt he had “more of a grip on life” after stepping back to focus on his well-being. He was especially committed to being a better father to his son, Bear, whom he shares with singer Cheryl Cole.
