Inside Liam Payne’s Final Year Ahead of His Death at Age 31: Music Release, Relationship and More
Liam Payne was ready to enter a “new chapter” in the months preceding his shocking death at age 31.
Payne wiped his social media pages in January, returning to the platform on the 24th of that month.
“A new chapter ?? link in bio,” he captioned a photo of himself wearing a white tank top that showed off his chest tattoos.
Payne’s next single, “Teardrops,” dropped two months later. It was his last musical release ahead of his death. (After recording five albums as a member of One Direction, Payne released his solo debut in 2019.)
Liam Payne Said His Last Single Before Death Was ‘Born From Many Tears’: ‘Teardrops’ Lyric Breakdown
Us Weekly confirmed on October 16 that Payne had fallen to his death from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Payne is survived by his parents, two sisters and son Bear, whom he shared with ex Cheryl Cole.
Keep scrolling to revisit Payne’s final year ahead of his death:
2023
At the end of last year, Payne revealed that he was more than 100 days sober.
“I feel amazing,” Payne told iFL TV. “I feel really, really good, and support from the fans and everything has been really, really good. So, I'm super happy.”
February 2024
Just after the start of the new year, Payne expanded his family by adopting a new dog.
“Welcome to the family, Stanley,” he wrote via Instagram. “Our hearts are bigger with you in it ????."
March 2024
Payne’s music return in “Teardrops” dropped, which he cowrote with 'NSync alum JC Chasez and Jamie Scott.
“‘Teardrops’ is about the vulnerability of heartbreak and the challenge of overcoming those moments,” Payne said in a press release. “This song marks the start of a new beginning. There’s lots more to come in 2024.”
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March 2024
Payne took his son, then 7, to celebrate “Teardrops.”
“I want to be on a billboard one day, daddy ?? ??,” Payne wrote via Instagram, sharing a pic of Bear looking up at a Spotify poster for the release.
Payne shared custody with Cole.
“Time with Bear’s been really, really great,” Payne previously said during a July 2023 YouTube video. “More than anything, I want to say thank you to him and his mum for giving me a little bit of freedom to go and get well in that moment because I had to. There’s no point trying to be a dad when you’ve got nothing to teach and I don’t think up until this point I really had much to say to him other than just caring for him very deeply and loving him deeply, which is obviously the most important thing.”
Earlier that year, Payne sought treatment following mental health and sobriety struggles.
May 2024
Payne’s ex-fiancé Maya Henry published her debut novel, Looking Forward, which appeared to take inspiration from their past relationship. (They split in 2022 before Payne moved on with Kate Cassidy.)
“Some of the things that fictionalized the book were, obviously the name changes, some of the cities are different,” Henry said on the “Internet Is Dead” podcast in October. “Some of the timelines are a bit skewed. People were like, ‘This can’t be about Liam,’ because when I was talking about the abortion, he said, ‘Oh, I’m not ready for a kid,’ and in real life that’s obviously not the case. For privacy reasons, I just wanted to leave stuff like that out of my book.”
Henry included certain allegations, such as one where the main character was forced to have an abortion by her boy band partner, but neither she nor Payne confirmed whether the scenes actually occurred during their relationship.
June 2024
Payne and Cassidy made a rare public appearance in Los Angeles.
Former One Direction Members: Where Are They Now — Relationships, Breakups, Babies and More
August 2024
While Payne tried to keep a low profile, Cassidy often encouraged him to participate in fun social media trends.
“Pre-wedding festivities, I love this trend,” Cassidy captioned an August TikTok of the pair doing the “Surf Curse” viral dance in a bathroom.
September 2024
On September 30, Cassidy quipped in another TikTok video that Payne’s date night outfit “gives hot Freddy Krueger” thanks to his ripped jeans and red flannel shirt.
“I don’t know what I’m wearing,” he replied. “These jeans were made; they have all my song lyrics from my album that isn’t out.”
October 2024
Payne and Cassidy supported his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan’s October 2 concert in Buenos Aires.
“It’s been a while since me and Niall have spoken,” Payne said in a social media video. “We’ve got a lot to talk about. And I would like to square up a couple of things with the boy. No bad vibes or anything like that. But just, we need to talk.”
Payne uploaded a Snapchat selfie with Horan at the end of the night.
While Cassidy traveled to Argentina with Payne, she left several days before his passing.
October 2024
Around the same time as Payne visited Horan, Henry made a series of disparaging comments about Payne via her TikTok account. In one scathing video, the model alleged that Payne confessed that Zayn Malik once threw him against a wall during a 1D concert. Payne never publicly addressed the claims.
October 2024
Buenos Aires authorities reported on October 16 that Payne fell to his death from a third-floor balcony at a hotel, where he suffered a cranial fracture and other serious injuries. Police sources later confirmed to Usthat it is "not known whether he jumped or was pushed." and a preliminary autopsy report revealed that Payne died from “multiple injuries involving ‘internal and external hemorrhage.'" According to the report, the musician was believed to be in a "state of semi or total unconsciousness" at the time of the fall.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).