By james art Editor’s note: This article contains references to substance abuse and suicidal thoughts.
Authorities in Buenos Aires continue to investigate the death of pop artist and former One Direction singer Liam Payne, who was pronounced dead at the scene on October 16 at the age of 31. Payne fell from the balcony of his hotel room while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. An autopsy report confirmed that Payne died of injuries resulting from a fall, noting that he did not have any defensive wounds and therefore did not attempt to defend himself and fell in an impaired state.
Police responded to a 911 call made by hotel staff minutes before Payne fell. The hotel manager requested emergency police assistance due to a guest who they suspected had taken “too much drugs and alcohol” and was vandalizing their hotel room. The manager expressed his fear for the guest’s life as the room has a balcony.
Although authorities have ruled out the possibility of another person being involved, they are continuing to investigate, as is the procedure in cases of sudden or unexpected death. Investigations show that Payne was alone and suffered a mental breakdown due to substance use. One substance was confirmed to be “pink cocaine,” a recreational mix of drugs including methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA, cocaine, benzodiazepine and others. While Payne’s body will remain in Argentina pending an autopsy, Payne’s father Jeff Payne is in Buenos Aires to claim and exhume his son’s body.
After news of his death broke, fans of Payne and One Direction gathered at the Casa Sur Hotel, forming lines that wrapped around the cul-de-sac outside the hotel. They created a makeshift memorial, leaving photos, candles and bouquets in tribute to Payne.
One Direction remains one of the most popular boy bands to date, catapulting all five members to international fame. The group was formed in 2010 on The X Factor, with judges Simon Cowell and Nicole Scherzinger grouping Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, who had each failed an audition separately.
The group has sold 70 million records and won over 200 awards, breaking records for their chart-topping albums. In 2015, Zayn Malik retired from the group, putting the group on indefinite hiatus while each member pursued solo careers.
Payne had posted on his Snapchat that he was in Argentina to attend former teammate Niall Horan’s concert on October 2. His girlfriend Kate Cassidy posted videos of the two dancing together on TikTok before she left Buenos Aires after Horan’s show.
Payne has openly discussed his struggles with addiction in the past. In a 2019 interview with Men’s Health Australia, Payne said the band’s sudden rise to fame was “shaking and lonely at times”.
“When you make hundreds and hundreds [of concerts] and it’s the same 22 songs at the same time every day, even if you’re not happy, you’ve got to get out there,” Payne said. “It’s almost like putting on the Disney costume before you go on stage, and under the Disney costume I was [drunk] quite a while because there was no other way to find out what was going on. [We had fun] but there were certain parts of it where it just got a little toxic.
Payne described a constant struggle with his substance abuse, never feeling in control of it and experiencing moments of suicidal thoughts. He posted a video on YouTube on July 8, 2023, marking six months of sobriety after completing rehab at a US facility.
After his death, fans demanded more laws to protect artists, especially celebrities who came into the limelight at a young age. Dubbed “Liam’s Law” in Payne’s honor, lawmakers in the UK are being encouraged by fans to pass legislation that would require artists to have access to mental health professionals, regular mental health check-ups and adequate breaks.
Hilary Gleason, executive director of Backline, “a nonprofit organization that connects music industry professionals and their families with mental health and wellness resources,” spoke to NBC News about the proposed legislation. The intent behind the law is valid, as the demands of schedules, tours, and fans certainly put pressure on artists; however, Gleeson believes this is a difficult issue to legislate, with the question of who is responsible for the artist’s health remaining unclear.
Gleason notes a recent shift in fan attitudes toward artists and their mental well-being.
“They are ready to accept [cancellations] or time off from social media because … we understand that artists are people,” Gleason said.
Hours after Payne’s death, TMZ published an article containing photos of Payne’s body cropped so that viewers could only see identifying parts of him, such as his tattoos. The public outcry was so strong that TMZ later took down the photos. Although legal in the United States under the First Amendment, the incident, involving TikToks showing images of Payne’s hotel room, has sparked debate about the privacy that celebrities and their families are entitled to.
Meg Heckman, an associate professor of journalism at Northeastern University, discussed with Northeastern Global News why the images shared by TMZ are perceived as overblown in the public eye. Heckman explained the need to strike a balance between increasing truth-telling and minimizing harm to vulnerable parties. There are some circumstances where sharing explicit or gory images is important to emphasize the seriousness of a situation. But in cases where media is distributed solely for clicks, it upsets this imperative balance.
Payne’s fans have started a petition demanding compensation for his family for the invasion of privacy.
In her book Scandalous Invasions: The Personal Lives of Celebrities, the Media and the Law, Robin Barnes argues that stricter paparazzi legislation would be difficult to pass. She notes that the First Amendment was created to protect individual liberties from government interference—of course, it could not have provided for a monopoly on the media.
“We’re in a situation where five or six big corporations own the media — not just the newspapers and the TV channels, but the magazines, the websites, the blogs, the PR firms, the publishers,” Barnes told Today. “They keep the audience focused on the celebrities. When they can get people to focus on Tiger Woods and not the corporate scandals on Wall Street, they win.
Payne’s tragic death is a cruel reminder that celebrities suffer for their fame, often paying with their mental health and well-being. As the public reflects on his legacy, his story raises important discussions about the right the media and fans feel they have over the lives of celebrities, infringing on their privacy. These discussions have the potential to change attitudes towards celebrities for the better.
Ananya Kashyap is the Arts and Entertainment Intern for Fall Quarter 2024. She can be reached at [email protected].
Edited by Alaina Retodo and Jaheem Conley.