One Direction members, other celebrities react to Liam Payne's 'heartbreaking' death
This story has been updated to add statements from One Direction and individual band members.
One Direction has released a statement on the death of bandmember Liam Payne.
Payne, prolific One Direction singer and songwriter, has died at the age of 31. The English musician was found dead outside an Argentina hotel after falling from a third-floor balcony, local police confirmed Wednesday.
Payne had been at the Casa Sur hotel in Buenos Aires. In a statement, the capital police added they were called to the hotel in the capital's Palermo neighborhood where they were notified of an "aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol."
Buenos Aires police said Payne's fall resulted in "extremely serious injuries," and he was confirmed to be dead at the scene, the Associated Press reports. Alberto Crescenti, head of Buenos Aires' public emergency medical services, confirmed Payne's death in a statement to local media, per Todo Noticias and La Nacion.
Earlier Wednesday, Payne appeared to post on Snapchat about his trip to Argentina, talking about riding horses, playing polo, and looking forward to returning home to see his dog. "It's a lovely day here in Argentina," he said in the video.
Payne is survived by his 7-year-old child, Bear, whom he shared with British singer Cheryl Cole; his parents, Karen and Geoff Payne; and his sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
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Surviving One Direction members ask for 'time to grieve and process the loss of our brother'
One Direction's Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik released a public statement Thursday afternoon responding to the sudden death of their band's fifth member.
"We're completely devastated by the news of Liam's passing," the statement reads in part. "In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly."
The four said the memories they share with Liam will be "treasured forever" and expressed their condolences to "his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us."
"We love you Liam," the statement concluded, along with the names of surviving band members.
Styles, Tomlinson, Malik and Horan have also shared individual statements on social media, expressing their love for Payne and his lasting impact on their lives.
Simon Cowell postpones 'Britain's Got Talent' auditions to pay respect to Liam Payne
One Direction, an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010, included Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. After placing third on The X Factor (UK), English personality and entrepreneur Simon Cowell signed them to a contract with his record label Syco Records.
Independent reports that Cowell has halted filming of "Britain's Got Talent" following Payne's death, postponing Blackpool auditions.
Since news of Payne's death, many other celebrities have also publicly reacted to the tragedy — including the mother of Payne's former bandmate Harry Styles. Here are a few of them.
Liam Payne's legacy: Liam Payne was a prolific One Direction songwriter as well as singer: His best songs
Paris Hilton, American media personality and businesswoman
Anne Twist, English author and mother of Harry Styles
Katie Waissel, fellow English singer/songwriter
Zedd, Russian, German music producer and DJ
Corbyn Besson, American musician
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