Liam Payne's final days of torment retraced as tragic new details emerge in shock report

A new report has revealed devastating details about Liam Payne's death, with sad insight into the star's fears before his passing.

The former One Direction star, 31, tragically died last month after plunging from the third floor of the Casa Sur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A body was found in an internal patio of the boutique hotel shortly after 5pm local time. It was reported he suffered "severe injuries which were incompatible with life".

Now, it's been alleged by witnesses and a since-filed police report that Liam was attempting to escape from his hotel room and threated to use the balcony as a means to flee. A bag was also found on his body in the hotel's internal courtyard, indicating he may have been preparing to leave the room.

Here is everything we now know about Liam's worrying spiral before tragedy struck, and what really happened in his hotel room.

Difficult blows

Liam was hit with some difficult blows in the weeks before his death, with those close to him raising the alarm before the tragedy. His own publicist resigned, leaving him without any guidance in a turbulent time, and he was reportedly dropped by his record label, Universal Music.

According to the Daily Mail, Liam was axed by the record label in the days preceding his death, with a source telling the publication: "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 second album release was allegedly put on hold.

A source claimed Liam's eight-year-long music career may have felt like it was "crumbling" at the end, and it "must have absolutely devastated him". It coincided with actions taken by his ex-fiancé Maya Henry, who began legal proceedings against Liam after she accused him of repeatedly contacting her.

Haunting videos with fans

Fans of Liam shared haunting videos of his final days and hours and he greeted them during his Argentina trip. One TikTok video shows the star meeting well-wishers outside his hotel, and he appears unsteady on his feet as he tells them, "That was a really big squeeze". In another, he poses for a photo before he furrows his brow and looks down.

A separate clip shows Liam signing an autograph for a woman and asking the crowd for a 'pen' because he doesn't have one. When they reply 'lapicera' in Spanish, he jokes: "I feel like you're trying to make me say something rude." But away from the laughter, there are concerns Liam wasn't in a good headspace and was spiralling out of control.

Lobby conversation

A woman, only known as Rebecca, who had a half-hour chat with Liam in the hotel lobby hours before his death described him as "desperate" to be recognised. She claimed he announced himself, unprompted, shouting "I'm Liam", to a queue of guests waiting for the lift. She said that Liam returned to the lobby with his laptop.

Surmising that he'd spotted an email that "upset" him, Rebecca said: "Suddenly he took the computer, shouted 'f**k this s**t mate!' and started bashing the computer on the ground." The singer's "out of place" behaviour "shocked" onlookers in the "high-end" hotel, but concerned, Rebecca said she asked him if he was OK.

She explained: "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'." Shocked at his admission, she saw him get back in the lift, before a "British guy" apologised to the group on "his behalf". She added that he fell over when he returned to the lobby, with staff helping him in to the lift.

Hotel staff fears

Hotel employees reportedly used a master key to place Liam in his room, subsequently removing a mirror outside his door, apparently out of concern he might damage it. Just minutes later, a hotel employee called 911, noting the singer was in a room with a balcony and expressing fear that he might attempt to escape.

The reception head said: "I don't know if the guest's life is in danger. The room has a balcony and we are afraid he might do something. Just send an ambulance, only an ambulance."

Leather bag

After the hotel staff left Liam alone, he apparently attempted an escape route involving the balcony, leading to his tragic fall. His body was found with a bag strapped over his shoulder - the bag was not present when he was carried from the lobby.

Evidence suggests Liam may have planned his descent in stages. A second-floor hotel guest discovered a leather bag containing pills, a bottle of Jack Daniel's, and a note labelled 'for Liam' on their balcony. Investigators believe the bag, identified as the singer's and not the one found next to his body, was lowered to the second-floor as part of his attempted escape.

Police have ruled out suicide, believing the singer was likely in a state of "semi or total unconsciousness" at the time of his fall. Officials have also linked the tragedy to a substance-induced 'psychotic episode'.

Hotel fears

According to the US website TMZ, sources familiar with Liam describe a repeated aversion he held to being confined in hotel rooms, a reaction that traces back to his years in One Direction. Speaking on The Diary of a CEO podcast in 2021, Liam said: "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 dislike of such situations reportedly led to at least one other balcony escape attempt in September, when his security confined him to a room in a Florida rental property due to concerns over potential drug use. During that incident, the 31-year-old is alleged to have attempted to escape through a balcony, using a garden hose to shimmy to the ground.

Substance struggles

Liam had reportedly been clean from drugs in his final months, but seemingly fell back into taking narcotics and alcohol shortly before his death. The initial toxicology report found traces of "alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants" in Liam's system.

A search of Liam's hotel room also uncovered "what appeared to be narcotics, alcohol, destroyed objects and furniture", according to detectives. Photos purporting to show inside the room where Liam spent his final hours were confirmed by news outlets La Nacion and Clarin.

*Frank offers confidential advice about drugs and addiction (email frank@talktofrank.com, message 82111 or call 0300 123 6600) or the NHS has information about getting help.