LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — On Wednesday, Oct. 16, music star Liam Payne fell from the third floor of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Multiple witnesses from the hotel saw the incident. Payne and his girlfriend were on vacation, having a great time as seen on social media, but, according to TMZ, his girlfriend had left early on the 13th while Liam checked into a new hotel. After that, multiple people claimed to have seen odd behavior from Payne until his sudden death. Sources still do not know whether the balcony fall was a self-inflicted action, and both former and current One Direction fans worldwide are in shock.

“I’m not a huge fan of One Direction anymore, but it’s just shocking that he died, especially now. I would’ve thought this was going to happen when I was old with kids, not when I’m 18,” ex-One Direction fan Savannah, from Mississippi, said.

Payne was widely known for being a part of One Direction, the third greatest boy band of all time, according to Entertainment Weekly. The band formed in 2010 on the British show “The X Factor” and quickly rose to fame, including members Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.

Payne was only 16 years old when the band was formed and had to learn to adapt to large changes in his life. With this new world of fame, Payne admitted to having mental health problems, such as suicidal thoughts and a drug problem while on tour with the band, according to TMZ. He later was open about his recovery journey and being sober for six months back in 2023, though the results of the incident show Payne may have been struggling again.

“After being a fan for so long, it’s almost impossible to describe how it feels to know that someone who was part of something so influential and monumental is gone. It’s to the point where it almost doesn’t feel real. Liam’s passing is genuinely heart wrenching, and I’m sure the whole fandom can attest to that,” said Zelinda, a One Direction fan and Los Alamitos High School student.

Payne had been in Argentina on vacation to watch his ex-band member Niall Horan play at his concert on Oct. 2. Fans went crazy as the two had a small reunion and posted it on social media. Fangirls are devastated by the news of Payne’s death because he once held a special place in many people’s hearts in One Direction’s previous years.

According to CNN, reports of an “aggressive man” in the hotel Payne was staying at were brought to the attention of emergency responders just hours before Payne’s death. Witnesses seem to say this man may have been Payne because he had to be carried back to his room after making a scene by smashing his computer.

Soon after these accusations, a loud noise was heard towards the back of the hotel, and Payne was found dead after falling from the balcony of his hotel room on the third floor. Police, ambulances, crowds of people and fans quickly gathered as authorities covered a red tarp over Payne’s body, so they could begin an investigation on the scene.

After a search of Payne’s hotel room, the conclusion for now seems to be that the former One Direction star had an episode and used harmful drugs on his body that may have caused his death. Yet just a week or so before, much controversy was brought on Payne’s name when his ex-fianée, Maya Henry, issued a cease and desist letter to him. As Henry shared her side of her story with fans on social media, many were furious at what they learned about their childhood idol, Payne. This caused much online hatred towards him, and fans ponder if this could have led up to his death.

“While I don’t agree with Liam’s actions regarding his relationship with Maya, it is still very sad to see someone influential dead. With this, absolutely no one should be hating on Maya for speaking out about what happened to her,” another former fangirl, Katie, said.

Though the cause of his death is not confirmed, Liam Payne will be greatly missed by fans of all ages. He is survived by his son, Bear, and the mother of his son, Cheryl Cole, along with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy. Over the next few days, thousands of girls will put on their One Direction shirts from their childhood years and mourn the loss of such a major media figure in their lives.