Liam Payne’s father has arrived in Argentina following the death of the One Direction star who fell from a hotel balcony on Wednesday.
Geoff Payne, who landed in the country yesterday, was pictured in a navy suit as he left the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, where the British star fell from a third-floor balcony on Wednesday.
Mr Payne is said to have flown to the country to organize his son’s repatriation, the Associated Press reported.
Mr Payne was seen visiting tributes left by fans outside the hotel, reading letters and pausing around flowers, photos and candles.
The singer’s family paid tribute to the 31-year-old on Thursday. They said they were ‘heartbroken’ after his death, adding: ‘Liam will live on in our hearts forever and we will remember him for his kind, funny and courageous soul.’
The father of One Direction pop singer Liam Payne, who died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, arrived in Argentina on Friday
Geoff Payne visits the CasaSur Palermo hotel where his son was found dead
Geoff Payne, father of the late British musician Liam Payne, visits the CasaSur Palermo hotel where his son tragically fell from the balcony
Geoff Payne, father of former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, waves to people outside the hotel where Liam Payne was found dead
Geoff Payne (right) visits a memorial outside the Casa Sur Hotel where the British pop singer died
Geoff Payne (left), the father of One Direction pop singer Liam Payne, looks at where fans paid tribute to his late son outside the CasaSur Hotel
The singer’s family paid tribute to the 31-year-old on Thursday. Liam is pictured with his parents after the X Factor final in 2010
The singer was pronounced dead at the scene after falling from a height of 13 meters from the balcony of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires.
Tributes to the pop star have poured in from millions of Payne’s friends and fans, including the mother of his child Cheryl Cole.
The Girls Aloud singer previously dated him for two years, with the pair welcoming Bear Gray into the world on March 22, 2017.
The grieving mother opened up on Instagram about her fear as she tries to “navigate this earth-shattering event.”
Her statement read: “As I try to navigate this earth-shattering event and process my own grief during this indescribably painful time.
“I would like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being.
‘Liam wasn’t just a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a good friend and a father to our seven-year-old son.
‘A son who now has to face the reality that he will never see his father again.’
Geoff Payne stands at a makeshift memorial outside the hotel where his son Liam Payne was found dead
Geoff Payne stands next to tributes left outside the hotel where Liam Payne was found dead
Geoff Payne waves to fans of his son Liam Payne as he visits a memorial outside the hotel where the One Direction star died
Crowds of fans watch as Geoff Payne reads tributes to his late son outside a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Mourning fans of Liam Payne hug each other after Geoff Payne, Liam’s father, visited the memorial
Before his sudden death around 5pm (ART), the pop star attended his former bandmate Niall Horan’s tour of the Latin American country.
A heartbreaking video shows Liam Payne singing and dancing during the concert with his current partner Kate Cassidy.
After the performance, much to the delight of fans, he posted a photo with Niall on Snapchat with the caption: ‘Reunited.’
Kate also broke her silence following his tragic death earlier tonight. She took to Instagram to express her grief, telling her followers, “I’m completely lost,” “nothing feels real.”
The 25-year-old wrote that she will love her “angel” for “the rest of her life,” adding the tribute “444,” which is considered an angel number in numerology.
Kate and Liam first started dating in October 2022 and made their red carpet debut at the Fashion Awards later that year.
Just days before his death, Kate shared a touching message dedicated to the singer.
The blonde beauty snapped a photo of the pop star riding on horseback in the countryside. Liam was seen in a casual gray T-shirt as he sat on the horse and spoke to someone who appeared to be helping him.
Kate captioned the photo: “I’m very grateful for the simple things in life.”
Before the singer’s death, he had looked at a final Snapchat post in which he happily posed with Kate as they looked in the mirror. A photo originally taken last August.
In a joint statement released last night, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Harry Styles said they were ‘completely devastated’.
“In due time, and when everyone is able, there will be more to say,” they said.
The Girls Aloud singer previously dated Payne for two years, with the pair welcoming their child Bear Gray into the world on March 22, 2017.
Liam Payne arrives for a film premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square in November 2010
The English star rose to fame as a member of the boy band One Direction, alongside his former bandmates Harry, Niall, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson; (L-R) Liam, Niall, Louis, Zayn and Harry in 2013
Several witnesses said Payne fell from his room at the Casa Sur Palmero Hotel shortly after 5:00 PM (ART) on Wednesday evening; it can be seen in 2018
“But for now, we will take time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, whom we loved dearly.
“The memories we shared with him will be cherished forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and the fans who loved him alongside us.
‘We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam – Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry.’
Liam began his quest for fame when he first auditioned for the X Factor in 2008.
At just 14 years old, Liam impressed the judges with his own version of Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon, but was later eliminated from the show.
However, Payne gave his singing career another chance by auditioning for the competition again in 2010, where he quickly rose to fame as part of One Direction.
He and his former bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson were brought together by Simon Cowell and former judge Nicole Scherzinger who saw their potential as a group.
After just a few weeks of getting to know each other and rehearsing non-stop, the group impressed Simon at their audition at Judge’s Houses and sailed through to the live shows.
The pop Svengali later admitted to Rolling Stone that it took him “about a millionth of a second” to discover the group’s global potential.
The fan response was also immediate, with 1D hysteria quickly overshadowing the show. Despite the adulation, the band eventually finished in third place on the X Factor, but shortly afterwards Cowell sealed their fate by signing the five-piece to a £2 million Syco contract.
