Inside Liam Payne's final days as new details emerge in tragic report

Liam Payne died last month after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. (Image: Getty)

A new report has revealed details about the tragic death of Liam Payne, offering a harrowing insight into the star's fears prior to his untimely death.

The ex-One Direction member, aged 31, met with a tragic end last month after falling from the third floor of the Casa Sur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Authorities discovered a body in an inner courtyard of the upscale hotel just after 5pm local time, with reports stating he sustained "severe injuries which were incompatible with life".

New claims from witnesses and a police report suggest that Liam was trying to get out of his hotel room and had threatened to use the balcony as an escape route. A bag found on his person in the hotel's inner courtyard seems to indicate he might have been gearing up to vacate the premises.

Here is everything we know about Liam's distressing downward spiral before fate took its toll, including the real events inside his hotel room.

Liam rose to fame in One Direction. (Image: Getty)

Series of setbacks

In the lead-up to his death, Liam faced several setbacks, with those close to him sounding the alarm. His publicist resigned, leaving him without professional support during a tumultuous period, and it is believed he was let go by his record company, Universal Music.

The record label allegedly dropped Liam just days before his tragic demise, as reported by the Daily Mail. An insider disclosed: "Liam's advance was massive and he didn't recoup [it]. Out of all of the One Direction boys, Liam was on the wrong path musically."

His highly anticipated second album was subsequently shelved.

Sources suggest that Liam's career, which spanned over eight years, seemed to be disintegrating towards the end, leaving him utterly heartbroken. This personal blow was further compounded by legal actions initiated by his former partner Maya Henry, who accused him of persistently reaching out to her post-breakup, reports the Mirror.

Meanwhile, fans have been circulating eerie footage of the pop star's final interactions with fans in Argentina. In one distressing TikTok video, Liam is seen unsteady as he greets fans outside a hotel. Another clip captures him looking pensive following a photo opportunity with supporters.

Liam and Maya dated on-and-off from 2018 to 2022. (Image: Getty)

A woman, known only as Rebecca, who engaged in a conversation with Liam in the hotel lobby shortly before his untimely death, described him as "desperate" for recognition. She recounted how he introduced himself to guests by shouting "I'm Liam", without any prompt.

Later, she witnessed Liam re-entering the lobby with his laptop.

Rebecca speculated that an email had disturbed him, noting: "Suddenly he took the computer, shouted 'f**k this s**t mate! ' and started bashing the computer on the ground."

His erratic behaviour raised eyebrows among the patrons of the "high-end" establishment, but Rebecca, concerned, approached him to ask if he was alright.

She continued: "But he just kind of grunted. Then he said 'I used to be in a boyband. That's why I'm so f**ked up'."

His frank confession left her stunned, and she watched as he got back into the lift, followed by a "British guy" who apologised to those present on "his behalf". She also observed him stumble when he came back to the lobby, with staff assisting him into the lift.

Liam Payne sparked concern from hotel staff before his death. (Image: Getty)

Concerns of hotel staff

According to reports, hotel staff intervened by using a master key to escort Liam to his room, and they even removed a mirror from outside his door, presumably to prevent any potential damage. Shortly after, a hotel worker made an urgent 911 call, mentioning that the singer was in a room with a balcony and voicing concerns over the possibility of him trying to escape.

In a shocking incident, after hotel staff left Liam by himself, he appears to have sought an escape via the balcony, which led to his heartbreaking death. When his body was discovered, it had a bag slung over the shoulder a bag that was absent when he was initially assisted in the lobby.

Evidence suggests Liam may have planned his evacuation. A guest on the second floor found a leather bag containing pills, a bottle of Jack Daniel's, and a note addressed 'for Liam' on their balcony.

This bag, recognised as belonging to the singer and different from the one by his body, is thought to have been part of his escape attempt when lowered to the second floor.

Suicide has been discounted by police, who surmise the singer was probably experiencing "semi or total unconsciousness" at the fall's instant. Authorities suspect a drug-induced 'psychotic episode' factored into the tragedy.

Liam experienced 'semi or total unconsciousness' at the time of his death. (Image: Getty)

Concerns stretch back for Liam, according to TMZ, with those close to him recounting a long-standing unease with being trapped in hotel spaces - an affliction originating from his tenure with One Direction.

Reflecting on his experiences in a 2021 episode of The Diary of a CEO podcast, Liam remarked: "My dad said it from day one - lonely hotel rooms, man - getting locked in that room is not fun when you've been exposed."

The singer's aversion to confinement is said to have prompted at least one previous attempt to flee a situation in September, when he was reportedly locked in a room by his security team at a Florida rental property due to concerns about potential drug use.

During this episode, the 31-year-old allegedly tried to make an escape via a balcony, attempting to lower himself to the ground using a garden hose.

Battling Addiction

Liam, who had reportedly been sober from drugs in the months leading up to his untimely death, is believed to have relapsed into substance abuse shortly before he died.

The preliminary toxicology report indicated the presence of "alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants" in his system.