What singer said about rehab and alcohol consumption

Liam Payne, a singer who rose to fame as a member of the band One Direction, died on October 16 at the age of 31 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Before his death, Payne struggled with addiction issues and shared that he was in rehab for 100 days in 2023.

Payne died after falling from the third floor of a hotel at around 5pm local time. According to a press release from the Argentine prosecutor's office regarding his autopsy report, authorities apparently found alcohol and narcotics in his hotel room.

Local authorities also told Telemundo that before Payne's death, police responded to a 911 call from Payne's hotel reporting an “aggressive male who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.” Payne was not mentioned by name in the call.

Representatives for Payne did not respond to NBC News' request for comment. The musician's family released a statement about the loss, calling him “a kind, funny and brave soul.”

Here's what we know about Payne's death and what he shared about his history of addiction and mental health.

How did Liam Payne die?

In a statement to Telemundo, the Sistema de Atencio Medica de Emergencia provided the following details about Payne's death on October 16.

“British musician Liam James Payne, composer and guitarist, former member of the band One Direction, died today after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Palermo,” the statement said. “In the afternoon, police officers from Precinct 14B were directed to the hotel by an emergency call and reported an aggressive man who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

Buenos Aires' security ministry told the Associated Press that Payne “jumped from the balcony of his room.” When paramedics arrived on scene, they pronounced Payne dead, citing “extremely serious injuries.”

An autopsy report revealed Payne's cause of death

According to a press release from the Argentine prosecutor's office, Payne died of “polytrauma and internal and external bleeding.”

The press release states that “a number of substances were confiscated from the musician’s room that would provide evidence of prior alcohol and drug use.”

After falling from the balcony, Payne suffered “multiple traumatic injuries” as well as “internal and external bleeding” that led to his death. It appears that Payne was alone when he fell and that “no injuries were observed to suggest third-party intervention.”

According to prosecutors, the position in which Payne's body was found suggested that he “did not adopt a reflexive stance to protect himself and that he could have fallen into a state of semi- or total unconsciousness.”

Liam Payne was in rehab last year

In July 2023, Payne filmed a YouTube video to give his fans an update on his health following a 100-day rehab stay.

“I actually just had to take a little time out for myself because I've kind of become someone that I don't really recognize anymore. And I’m sure you didn’t either,” he said.

During rehab, Payne didn't have access to a phone and he said the experience was refreshing.

“I had been in bad shape up to that point and was more than happy when I arrived and put a stop to my life and work, so to speak,” he said.

At the time of filming the video, Payne said he had quit drinking and had been sober for nearly six months.

“It’s good to be in this position,” he said. “I definitely don’t need these things anymore. The party is over.”

Payne went on to say he has a “better handle on life” and is focused on being a great father to his son Bear, now seven years old.

“There is no point in becoming a father if you have nothing to teach,” he said. “I don't think I've really had much to say to him up to this point other than that I care about him a lot and love him a lot, which are obviously the most important things.”

Liam Payne said he consumed alcohol to cope with One Direction's fame

One Direction's Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson. — One Direction in 2013.Kevin Mazur/WireImage

During a conversation with Men's Health Australia in 2019, Payne spoke about the lonely aspects of fame and said he started drinking to process his feelings. He noted that the repetitive nature of touring posed a challenge on days when he wasn't feeling well mentally.

“It's almost like putting on the Disney costume before you go on stage, and under the Disney costume I was pissed most of the time because there was no other way to understand what was going on. I mean, that was it. “We had a blast, but there were certain spots where it was just a little bit toxic,” he said.

During his appearance on a 2021 episode of The Diary of a CEO podcast, the singer also recalled the heavy alcohol consumption he drank in his hotel room while on tour.

“When we were still in the band, since it had gotten so big, the best way to keep ourselves safe was to just lock ourselves in our rooms. And of course, what's in the room? Mini-bar. At a certain point I thought, 'Well, I'm going to throw a party for one,' and it just seemed to stay that way for many years in my life,” he said.

Liam Payne struggled with anxiety

Fame caused crippling anxiety for Payne, who told Esquire Middle East that at one point in his career he was nervous about leaving his house.

Research shows that anxiety and substance use disorders often occur in the same people, although the connection is not fully understood.

“I developed a bit of agoraphobia. I would never leave the house. And sometimes I suffer from it a little bit, in the sense that I get days where I just don't want to leave my house, even if I'm just going to the grocery store,” he said.

Liam Payne. — Liam Payne in 2023.Dave J. Hogan/Getty Images

“I don't think I'm struggling in the sense that you would naturally imagine if I'm walking down the street and every person is stopping me,” he continued. “I mean, it happens sometimes, but mostly mentally you struggle with it. It’s about getting ready and always knowing that you could be photographed.”

Simple tasks like filling up his car and paying at the checkout once caused the singer anxiety.

“I can feel it now – it was like this terrible fear where I was sweating in the car and thinking, 'I don't want to do this,'” he said.

To manage his anxiety, Payne said he likes to go for an early morning run every morning.

“I love it. I go out into the day and overcome the fear of asking, 'What if this happens?' or 'What if this happens?'” he said.

Liam Payne struggled with suicidal thoughts

During a Sky News interview with Ant Middleton in 2019, Paine revealed that he had had suicidal thoughts at times throughout his career. Research shows that addiction can increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior.

“Under certain circumstances, I'm very lucky to still be here, which I've never really shared with anyone,” he said.

Payne spoke about his struggles with “loneliness” and “people coming after you every day.”

“Every now and then you ask yourself, 'When is this going to end?' That almost killed me a few times,” he said, adding that he had thought about killing himself.

Payne said he relied on his friends for support and looked within to figure out why he was feeling the way he was.

“When things pile up on top of each other, it can really get to you. You really need to change your mind about this. “In this situation, there is only one thing you control: yourself,” he said.

During his appearance on a 2021 episode of The Diary of a CEO podcast, Payne opened up about the suicidal thoughts he had while he was a member of One Direction.

“There are some things I've definitely never, ever talked about. It was really, really, really bad. And it was a problem,” he said.