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Liam Payne, renowned as a former member of One Direction, tragically passed away at the age of 31.

The singer reportedly fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 16 October, sending shockwaves through the music industry and beyond. In the wake of this unexpected loss, heartfelt messages of sympathy and grief have poured in from celebrities, fans, and organisations around the world.

Music network MTV released a statement expressing sorrow, ‘We are heartbroken by the devastating loss of Liam Payne. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and supporters during this difficult time.’

Paris Hilton, socialite and singer, shared her condolences on X (formerly Twitter), writing, ‘Heartbreaking to hear about Liam Payne’s passing. Sending love and strength to his family and friends. Rest in peace, my friend.’

Irish pop duo Jedward, who rose to fame on The X Factor alongside One Direction, also offered their sympathies. ‘Rest in peace, Liam Payne. Our thoughts go out to his loved ones,’ they shared, adding a personal note to Cheryl Cole, Payne’s former partner, ‘Sending strength to Cheryl, his son Bear, and the whole One Direction family.’

Rapper Flavor Flav of Public Enemy expressed his sorrow on social media, posting, ‘Rest in peace, Liam Payne. Gone far too soon.’ Fellow X Factor star Rylan also reacted, describing the news as ‘heartbreaking’ and ‘tragic.’

US singer-songwriter Charlie Puth, who had collaborated with Payne, honoured him with a photo of the two together, shared without a caption.

In an emotional follow-up on Instagram, Puth confessed, ‘I’m in shock. Liam was one of the kindest people I’ve met. He was among the first big artists I ever worked with. It’s hard to believe he’s really gone.’

Puth later posted a video of himself with Payne, reflecting, ‘I’m absolutely heartbroken right now. Rest easy, Liam.’

Anne Twist, the mother of Harry Styles, expressed her grief with a simple broken heart emoji on Instagram, captioned, ‘Just a boy…’

Mikey Graham from Boyzone used his platform to call for mental health support for young artists, writing on X, ‘This is devastating. Record labels need to employ mental health professionals to help young talent navigate the pressures of fame. Too many are given wealth but not guidance. It’s overwhelming.’

Dermot O’Leary, host of The X Factor, shared a black-and-white photo of himself with Payne, remembering him as the talented 14-year-old who auditioned with Sinatra’s songs. ‘He was such a joy to be around—polite, passionate, and humble,’ O’Leary wrote, offering his prayers to Payne’s family.

Lou Teasdale, One Direction’s former hairstylist, kept her message brief, ‘Sending love to everyone.’ Similarly, Dan Richards, the band’s guitarist, wrote on Instagram, ‘I can’t wrap my head around this. My thoughts are with Liam’s family.’

Max George from The Wanted also expressed his devastation on X, ‘Liam’s kindness helped me through a dark period in my life. I’ll always remember that. My heart goes out to everyone who loved him.’

Music producer Zedd, who collaborated with Payne on the hit ‘Get Low,’ shared his disbelief, ‘RIP Liam… I still can’t process this. It’s heartbreaking.’

Singer Corbyn Besson, reflecting on One Direction’s impact on his career, posted, ‘Liam’s death has left me speechless. One Direction was a huge inspiration during my ‘Why Don’t We’ days. Life is unpredictable—tell your loved ones you care today.’

Author E L James, famous for the Fifty Shades of Grey series, conveyed her shock, ‘Liam’s passing feels surreal. My deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends.’

The Brit Awards shared a tribute on their social media, posting a photo of Payne with the caption, ‘We are deeply saddened by Liam Payne’s sudden loss. Our hearts go out to everyone affected.’

Music streaming giants Spotify and Amazon Music also paid their respects online.

Journalist Piers Morgan commented on the tragedy, writing, ‘Good grief… what a terrible loss.’

The overwhelming response from fellow celebrities, musicians, and fans is a testament to Payne’s impact, both as an artist and as a person. His unexpected passing leaves a void that will be deeply felt across the world.

Liam Payne, the 31-year-old former member of One Direction, has tragically passed away after a fall from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, as reported by local police, Cape {town} Etc reports.

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The incident took place at a hotel located on Costa Rica Street in the Palermo neighbourhood.

Payne rose to fame as part of the celebrated British boyband One Direction, which also included Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan. The group was formed in 2010 after each member participated in the UK version of ‘The X Factor.’

One Direction announced a hiatus in 2015, after which Payne released his debut solo album, ‘LP1,’ in 2019. Most recently, he launched his LP ‘Teardrops’ in March.

Payne is survived by his son, born in 2017, whom he shared with former Girls Aloud member Cheryl Cole.

This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Picture: Ryan Pierse / Gallo Images

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