Liam Payne reportedly had pink cocaine and other substances in his system at the time of his fatal balcony fall.
- READ MORE: Liam Payne 1993-2024: One Direction star who helped spark a pop phenomenon
Last Wednesday (October 16), it was announced that the solo artist and former One Direction member had died at the age of 31 after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Per The Guardian, the Argentinian prosecutor’s office revealed that his cause of death was due to multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding.
Sources have now told ABC News that results of a partial autopsy showed he had “pink cocaine” – a drug typically made up of a mix of substances including methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA and others – as well as cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack in his system. The report went on to allege that a makeshift aluminium pipe had been recovered from the hotel room he was staying in at the time.
Elsewhere, a report from TMZ claimed an unspecified bottle of alcohol was allegedly found in Payne’s room. The publication was recently slammed by Chris Cornell‘s daughter Toni Cornell, following their decision to publish photos of Payne’s hotel room and his body.
On her Instagram story, she wrote: “In the wake of Liam Payne’s tragic passing, I feel compelled to speak out about the disgusting, distressing photos released by TMZ including graphic images of his hotel room and body.”
TMZ eventually removed the images of Payne after substantial backlash, and have yet to comment publicly on her statement.
Payne’s tragic death has triggered conversations about putting more protections in place for young artists, with songwriter Guy Chambers calling on the music industry to stop putting minors in boybands following his passing. Payne was 14 when he first auditioned for the X Factor, and 16 when he became a member of One Direction during the show’s 10th season.
Elsewhere, Sharon Osbourne also accused the music industry of “letting down” Payne, writing in an Instagram post: “Liam, my heart aches. We all let you down. Where was this industry when you needed them? You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner? Rest in peace my friend.”
Osbourne’s tribute to Payne follows comments from Katie Waissel, who competed alongside One Direction on the talent show, calling for more “care and support for young artists”. Similarly, Rebecca Ferguson, who finished in second place on the same season of the show, paid tribute to Payne while also speaking out against the “exploitation and profiteering of young stars.”
Bruce Springsteen has also said that the music industry puts “enormous pressures on young people” in the wake of Payne’s death, while Victoria Canal shared that, as an artist who feels “desperate” to achieve the success that Payne once had, feels duped by “the promise of what ‘success’ in this industry is.”
