Liam Payne, former member of the famed British boy band One Direction, reportedly died Wednesday at the age of 31 after an apparent fall from a hotel balcony in Argentina.
Scripps News has not been able to independently verify Payne's passing, but several outlets are citing local reports that the pop star seemingly fell multiple stories to his death at a Buenos Aires hotel.
According to Reuters, police said they were called to the hotel and alerted to a "aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol." While it remains unclear as to who that person was, Payne has been open about his struggles with addiction in the past.
"Our hearts are absolutely broken and we wish much light and strength to his family and loved ones at this time," MTV's Latin American branch wrote in a social media post that included a photo of Payne.
One Direction, which also included members Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, formed in 2010 after each member had appeared on the reality competition show "The X Factor." The band has sold more than 70 million records worldwide, but broke up in 2016 as its members pursued different projects.
Payne would go on to launch his debut solo album in 2019 titled "LP1." He said last year he was working on a second studio album, but returned to music with the single "Teardrops" that released in March.
While he was not married, Payne is survived by a 7-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, who was born in 2017 to then-girlfriend and Girls Aloud group member Cheryl Cole.
