About 24 hours after the tragic death of One Direction singer Liam Payne, Argentinian officials have confirmed the official cause of death. Fair warning: it's disturbing.
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00:00About 24 hours after the tragic death of One Direction singer Liam Payne,
00:05Argentinian officials have confirmed the official cause of death. Fair warning, it's disturbing.
00:11Per E! Online, local authorities determined that the official cause of Payne's passing was
00:15something called polytraumatism, which essentially means there were multiple traumatic injuries that
00:20contributed to his death. The report also noted that internal and external hemorrhaging were
00:25significant factors. When first responders encountered the scene, it was initially
00:29determined that resuscitation was not viable. According to authorities in Argentina,
00:34the injuries were so severe that the team could do absolutely nothing.
00:38Payne was pronounced dead at the scene, shocking fans across the world. With a toxicology report
00:43still pending, it's possible that there's still more to know about how the singer ended up falling
00:47from his hotel balcony. The report further explained,
00:50"...the head injuries were sufficient to cause death, while the internal and external hemorrhages
00:54in the skull, thorax, abdomen, and limbs contributed to the mechanism of death."
00:59According to the autopsy release, there was no evidence of defensive wounds. This means
01:04Payne essentially fell of his own accord, but the toxicology report has yet to be finalized.
01:09So, we don't have the full picture. However, E! Online notes that first responders claimed
01:13to have found a series of substances that were then taken for processing from his room.
01:18Payne had struggled with substance abuse disorder in the past and had gotten sober
01:22as recently as 2023. Though he was not mentioned by name, there was a call made to a Buenos Aires
01:27emergency line from the hotel shortly before the tragic event. In the call, a staff member was
01:32asking for assistance for, quote, "...a guest who was under the influence of drugs and alcohol
01:37and who had destroyed some objects in the room." The caller goes on to state that the person in
01:42question did have a room with a balcony, and there was concern about their safety.
01:46Payne and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy had been in Argentina since early October,
01:50stopping by to watch fellow One Directioner Niall Horan perform. However, at the time of
01:55Payne's passing, Cassidy had already flown back to the USA, meaning Payne was alone at the time
02:00of his death. Posting on Snapchat about seeing his old bandmate, Payne stated,
02:04"'It's been a while since me and Niall have spoken. We've got a lot to talk about.'"
02:09He went on to say,
02:11"'And I would like to square up a couple things with the boy.
02:16No bad vibes or nothing like that.'"
02:17It's no secret that Payne has had several fallouts with One Direction bandmates,
02:22although he said that the boys had stuck by him in a video posted to his YouTube channel.
02:26"'The rest of the boys have really stuck by me and when I needed them most they,
02:29you know, kind of came to the rescue.'"
02:31Payne was a young father to his son Bear, and leaves behind his son's mother,
02:34Cheryl Cole, his parents, and his sisters. The entire family is asking for space to process
02:40and grieve during this time. In a statement provided to the BBC, the family said,
02:44"'Liam will forever live in our hearts and will remember him for his kind,
02:48funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family
02:53and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.'"
02:56Payne's ex-bandmates also recently shared a statement which reads,
02:59"'We're completely devastated by the news of Liam's passing.
03:02In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now,
03:07we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.
03:11The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever."
03:14They ended the statement by writing,
03:16"'For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends,
03:18and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you, Liam.'"
03:23All the while, tributes and words of love are pouring in from fans and previous collaborators
03:28alike. May Payne's loved ones find peace and comfort in the wake of this tragedy.
03:33If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available.
03:37Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website
03:41or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.