Fans of One Direction came together in an incredibly moving act of loyalty to Liam Payne's father Geoff as he arrived at the Argentina hotel where his son died this week.
Parents Geoff and Karen Payne left "in a hurry" at around midnight as news of Liam's death reached their home in Wolverhampton, England on Wednesday. When he arrived at the now infamous CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires, dad Geoff was greeted by many fans of Liam who have formed a vigil since the news broke.
Fans had also left flowers, letters and cards outside the lobby as they paid their respects to Liam, which Geoff took time to read. To allow the grieving dad to do so in peace, One Direction fans united to form a shield around him, using backpacks and their hands to block local media cameras.
One fan shared video footage of the moving scenes on X, formerly known as Twitter, which was reported on Argentinian live news channel Todo Noticias (TN).
Captioning the video, the One Direction fan wrote: "The fans fought the press and paparazzi trying to protect Liam's dad and the sanctuary. They're still with their hands up in the air trying to block the press from filming inside the hotel. So much love and respect for them. #RIPLiamPayne "
Their actions were praised by other fans on social media, with one commenting on the video: "What a deep and meaningful tribute. God bless all those who have been affected by the tragic passing of Liam especially his little boy, parents and the rest of his family." This was echoed by another, who wrote: "It’s truly heartwarming to see fans rally together to protect Liam’s family; their support speaks volumes about the community’s love and respect."
A third commented: "It's truly a great sight to see the fans supported his fav person's family when it needed the most."
Image:
Getty Images)Following the tragic news of Liam's death, his family said in a statement: "We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time."
In an official statement, Argentinian police disclosed that the father-of-one had "jumped from the balcony of his room", apparently dispelling any notions of an accidental fall or foul play. It's believed Liam had been under the influence of drink or drugs, local media reports. In a desperate call made to emergency services, hotel staff requested 'urgent' support just before his death.
Image:
NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)Police are said to have been called to reports at the hotel of a "man acting aggressively at the hotel who could be under the effect of drink or drugs". It's believed that Liam fell from around 13 or 14 metres and suffered "very serious injuries incompatible with life." Police say the music star’s hotel room had been "in complete disarray" with "various items broken".
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