Liam Payne Had Cocaine and More Drugs in His System at Time of Death, Partial Autopsy Reveals

One Direction member Liam Payne had multiple drugs in his system before his death, according to a new report.

Liam’s partial autopsy revealed that the musician had “pink cocaine” — a recreational drug typically mixing methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA — along with cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack in his system, ABC News reported on Monday, October 21. An aluminum pipe was also reportedly found in his hotel room as well. 

The U.K. native, best known for his role in the highly successful boy band One Direction, was just 31 years old when he died after falling off a third-floor balcony at his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16. Local authorities confirmed one day later that the One Direction star “jumped from the balcony of his room” before his death, the Associated Press reported.

Pablo Policicchio, the communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, confirmed the news in a statement, adding that police were dispatched to the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, just after 5 p.m. local time, following a warning from the hotel manager about an “aggressive man possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

According to an audio recording of the 911 call obtained via local media by Telemundo, the hotel staff member said a guest — who was not identified as Liam — had “overindulged on drugs and alcohol,” adding, “When he is conscious he breaks, he is breaking the whole room. Well, we need you to send someone, please.”

The employee stated that police were needed at the hotel “urgently,” expressing concern that the guest was at risk. “The guest is in a room that has a balcony and, well, we are a little afraid that he might do something life-threatening,” the caller said.

Liam was dead by the time authorities arrived on the scene. Buenos Aires police said that Liam’s fall from the third-floor balcony resulted in “extremely serious injuries” and medics confirmed his death on the spot.

“There was no possibility of resuscitating him,” the authorities said. “He had extremely severe injuries that were incompatible with life due to the fall.”

“According to the emergency medical team sent to the scene, [Liam] had a fracture in the base of his skull [and] extremely serious injuries,” which led to his immediate death.

Liam was in the South American country supporting his former bandmate Niall Horan on his international tour. Weeks before his passing, footage showed the U.K. native in good spirits, waving and interacting with fans while accompanied by his girlfriend Kate Cassidy in a private suite.

The “What Makes You Beautiful” singer had been transparent with his fans about his past struggles with drugs and alcohol, admitting at the height of his boy band fame, he had “moments of suicidal ideation.”

Liam seemed to be making progress with his issues with addiction, telling his followers in June 2023 that he had been sober for six months following a 100-day stay in rehab. “I just kind of feel like I’ve got more of a grip on life and everything that was getting away from me … I just feel like I’ve got more of a handle on it,” he said in a YouTube video. “I just needed to take a little bit of time out for myself actually because I kind of became somebody who I didn’t really recognize anymore. And I’m sure you guys didn’t either. I was in bad shape up until that point and I was really happy to kind of put a stopper to life and work.”