Former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after falling from the balcony of his third-floor room outside a Buenos Aires hotel, Argentine police said on Wednesday. Barely hours after his death, a video began circulating on social media, claiming to show the singer’s fatal fall. Even though the video received thousands of views online within minutes, many people immediately dismissed it. Others criticized those who posted or reshared it, while urging respect for the late singer. ,Also read: One Direction singer Liam Payne found dead in Buenos Aires: report,
Fact Check: Liam Payne’s death video shared on social media?
Video being shared online shows a man, believed to be Liam Payne, falling from a building. Given that Liam died after falling from the hotel balcony, many assumed this was a video of his final moments. The same claim has been made in the accompanying caption. However, online fact-checkers quickly pointed out that the video was from 2023, and the man in question was not Liam Payne at all.
Liam Payne died on Wednesday in Buenos Aires at the age of 31. In a statement, Buenos Aires police said they were called to the hotel in Palermo, a leafy area of the capital, where they were informed of an “aggressive person who may be under the influence of drugs and alcohol.”
The hotel manager said he heard a loud noise from the back of the hotel and when police arrived, they found a man fallen from the balcony of his room, the statement said. Emergency personnel confirmed the death of the British singer, who was reportedly found in the hotel’s interior courtyard.
Reactions to Liam Payne’s death
American music channel MTV, streaming service Spotify and the BRITs British Music Awards all expressed their grief on social media, offering their condolences to his family and loved ones. Payne had a son named Bear with British TV personality and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl in 2017.
According to audio related to the case obtained from the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, police received a call from a hotel employee requesting immediate help for an intoxicated guest.
“When he’s conscious, he’s destroying the entire room, and we need you to send someone,” the worker said, adding that the guest’s life was in danger because his room had a balcony. Emergency responders evacuated the body from the hotel to take it to the morgue, while fans and spectators who had gathered since the evening, some hugging each other and crying, applauded.
With inputs from Reuters
