Security camera footage captured the tragic fall that claimed the life of former One Direction singer Liam Payne, in a shocking turn of events. The 31-year-old pop star died on October 16th after plummeting from the third-floor balcony of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires.
According to Paula Varela, an Argentinian broadcast journalist, the CCTV footage shows Payne losing consciousness before the fatal accident. During an appearance on the TV program “Socios del Espectáculo,” Varela revealed that footage of Liam fainting and tragically falling from the balcony is not yet available to the media.
Varela’s account aligns with the findings of Payne’s preliminary autopsy, which suggested that he “may have fallen in a state of semi- or total unconsciousness.” The report indicated that the position of Payne’s body and the nature of his injuries implied he “did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself” during the fall, supporting the theory that he was unconscious when the incident occurred.
Authorities believe Payne may have been under the influence of drugs at the time of the accident. A toxicology report revealed the presence of “pink cocaine”—a combination of methamphetamine, ketamine, and MDMA—as well as cocaine and benzodiazepine in his system.
In the hours leading up to his death, multiple eyewitnesses reported that Payne had been behaving erratically in the hotel lobby. An American tourist even claimed that the singer had passed out shortly before hotel staff “escorted him back up to his room.”
Payne’s tragic death has left the music world and his legions of fans in a state of shock and grief. The former One Direction member had long been open about his battles with mental health and addiction, which only seemed to worsen after the band’s breakup in 2016.
“He was heartbroken and never really recovered,” a source close to Payne told Page Six. Without his One Direction bandmates Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik, he felt lost.
As the investigation into Payne’s death continues, the security footage that captured his final moments has become a crucial piece of evidence. Varela’s account offers a glimpse into the tragic circumstances leading to the singer’s untimely demise, despite the video’s non-public release.
Liam Payne leaves behind his parents, Geoff and Karen; his sisters, Ruth and Sarah; his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy; and his 7-year-old son, Bear, whom he shared with his ex-partner Cheryl Cole. His death has left a profound void in the lives of his loved ones and the music industry as a whole.