Liam Payne dead: The cheeky lad from Wolverhampton who stole Cheryl’s heart & became millionaire with One Direction fame

SEVEN years as a member of One Direction propelled Liam Payne to global stardom.

But 14 years after Simon Cowell first united the five young strangers including Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, the pop star tragically died in Argentina.

PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 01: Liam Payne is seen on March 01, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/GC Images)
Liam Payne, pictured in March, tragically died after plunging from his hotel room in Buenos Aires on Wednesday
a man in a tuxedo and a woman in a striped jumpsuit pose in front of a wall that says chopard
Getty – Contributor

Liam and Cheryl attend the Chopard Trophy Ceremony in 2016[/caption]

a group of young men are posing for a picture in front of a hmv sign
Getty

Liam launched to fame alongside Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles in One Direction[/caption]

Liam Payne was an adorable little boy
Liam’s childhood was not particularly easy as he was born with a scarred and dysfunctional kidney
One Direction Book Pictures
a young man in a grey sweater sits in a crowd
West Bromwich Albion have paid tribute to Liam in a post on X
X/West Bromwich Albion

The 31-year-old was in Buenos Aires for Horan’s tour when he tragically plunged from the third floor of his hotel balcony, TMZ reports.

Liam Payne stole the nations heart when he auditioned for The X Factor back in 2008, as well as Cheryl’s who was on the judging panel at the time.

West Bromwich Albion has paid tribute to the pop star in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The club said: “We’re shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Baggies fan and musician, Liam Payne.

“Our thoughts are with Liam’s family, friends and loved ones at this tragic time.”

Liam James Payne was born August 29, 1993, to mum Karen, a nursery nurse, and Geoff Payne, a fitter.

He had two older sisters, Nicola and Ruth Payne, making him the youngest of three siblings in the tight-knit family.

They seemed completely unbothered about a life in the spotlight. 

Dad Geoff posted a few weeks ago a sweet image of his son and his dog as he penned in the caption: “#like if you love my son!”

The post has now been flooded with messages of condolence.

His early childhood was not particularly easy as he was born with a scarred and dysfunctional kidney.

Up until the age of four he was forced to undergo regular tests and to help cope with the pain, he had 32 injections in his arm in the morning and evening.

Pictures from that time show an adorable and cheeky looking little boy and in one snap from the family album he can be seen winking at the camera.

Other photographs from his family album show he had musical talent from an early age even being pictured with a mic.

Liam previously revealed that he was bullied at secondary school but after taking up boxing lessons he soon grew out of any puppy fat.

At 16, Payne initially auditioned as a solo act but was given a second chance to come back as part of a group at Bootcamp, forming what would become one of the talent show’s biggest success stories – One Direction.

The band rose to international fame despite only placing third in the show.

They became one of the biggest pop groups in the world with five albums, four world tours, one movie and a memorable music video for Red Nose Day in 2013 which featured then prime minister David Cameron happening upon them dancing in front of Number 10 Downing Street.

But six years after they were formed, with more than 20 million albums sold, the band were placed on indefinite hiatus with Malik having already left in 2015 to pursue a solo career.

It comes as:



Marking One Direction’s 10th anniversary in 2020, Payne shared a screenshot of a text message he sent to his father on the day he joined the group, reading: “I’m in a boyband.”

“What a journey… I had no idea what we were in for when I sent this text to my dad years ago at this exact time the band was formed,” he said.

Liam had a musical talent from a young age
Liam had a musical talent from a young age
a screenshot of liam payne with the caption polo liam unlocked
Credit: Snapchat

Payne’s last social posts before his death saw him watching TV[/caption]

Liam looked very happy singing as a child
Liam looked very happy singing as a child
TriStar Pictures
Liam rose to fame when he was just 14
Liam rose to fame when he was just 14
a group of men are posing for a picture in front of a wall that says video music awards
Alamy

All the 1D band members have released their own music in the years since they went on an ‘indefinite hiatus’[/caption]

In 2016, Payne signed a solo record deal with Capital Records UK.

He said at the time he was “really happy” to have signed with them, adding: “One Direction will always be my family; I’m now excited to show what I can do as a solo artist.”

Over his solo career, Payne released hits Strip That Down and Get Low.

Away from the studio and stage, Payne entered into a relationship with former Girls Aloud star Cheryl, the pair having first met on The X Factor when she was a judge.

Liam got together while Cheryl was going through her divorce to second husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini at the beginning of 2016.

Despite their age difference they looked completely infatuated with each other when the couple made their red carpet debut at Cannes in May 2016.

Liam even paid a sweet tribute to his former girlfriend by getting a tattoo of her eye on his arm.

The pair welcomed their baby on March 22, 2017.

The Sun revealed in May 2017 that the couple named their son Bear.

However in February 2018, The Sun broke the story that Liam’s constant travelling to promote his solo career had placed a huge strain on the relationship.

Tributes to Liam Payne

SHOCKED fans have started to flood Liam Payne’s last Instagram post with sad tributes as news of the singer’s death emerges.

Charlie Puth, who was friends with Liam and also collaborated with him on a song called Bedroom Floor, has posted a series of Instagram stories dedicated to him.

Alongside photos of the two of them together in their younger days, Charlie wrote: “I am in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me.

“He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I can not believe he is gone…

“I am so upset right now, may he rest in peace. I am so sorry…”

German DJ Anton Zaslavski, otherwise known as Zedd, has taken to X with a devastated statement.

The producer, who worked with Liam on his 2017 hit Get Low, wrote: “RIP Liam… I can’t believe this is real…absolutely heartbreaking…”

Irish singer duo Jedward also took to social media, saying: “RIP Liam Payne. Condolences to friends and family.”

In another tweet, they added: “Sending strength to Cheryl and his son Bear. And all the One direction Family. RIP Liam Payne.”

American media personality Paris Hilton shared: “So upsetting to hear the news of Liam Payne passing. Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. RIP my friend.”

By July 2018, Cheryl and Liam made the decision to split.

Payne released his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019 which included the singles Polaroid and Familiar.

However the Wolverhampton-born singer seemed to struggle with life outside the band.

Liam was brutally honest about his health issues in recent years.

He admitted that he spent time in a US wellness clinic after he “hit rock bottom”.

He also told how a mystery respiratory illness left him floored in 2021.

Liam admitted turning to alcohol and drugs to hide how he struggled to cope with One Direction’s dizzying levels of fame — which would spark panic attacks and high levels of exhaustion.

In 2021, he blamed a “pills and booze phase” for bloating his face to “ten times the size” while also revealing he used to guzzle the contents of his mini bar when band chiefs checked the lads into hotels to keep fans at bay.

He came across as erratic in interviews by making bizarre claims, including that Cowell built One Direction around his talents and that his solo career has been the most successful of all his bandmates.

Inside Liam Payne and Cheryl's romance

By Joanne Kavanagh, Showbiz Reporter

It was a romance that caused a media storm.

One Direction hunk Liam Payne was only 14 when he met former X Factor judge Cheryl during the show in 2008.

But it wasn’t until 2016 – when the Girls Aloud singer was divorcing her second husband – that the pair got together despite their ten-year age gap.

The couple made their relationship official in May of that year when they appeared at Eva Longoria’s Global Gift Gala in Paris.

In 2017, Liam paid a sweet tribute to his girlfriend by getting a tattoo of her eye on his arm.

Cheryl was pregnant at the time and gave birth to a boy on March 22, 2017.

She posted a picture on Instagram of Liam cradling their 7lb 9oz baby and captioned: “On Wednesday Liam and I became parents to an incredibly beautiful, healthy baby boy looking like a dream.”

One pal told The Sun: “Liam didn’t leave Cheryl’s side throughout the birth, and like her, he is besotted with their new son and can’t wait to take him home.

“This is the perfect Mother’s Day for Cheryl.”

The Sun revealed in May 2017 that the couple named their son Bear.

They decided on the unusual name after spending a week getting to know him.

In February 2018, The Sun broke the news that Liam’s constant travelling to promote his solo career had placed a huge strain on the relationship, and the pair were ready to split.

That same month, Cheryl said “none of it matters” as she shrugged off questions about her crumbling romance with Liam during a BBC Breakfast interview.

They then put on a united front together at the Brit Awards where they smiled on the red carpet and Cheryl joked about the couple’s ‘safe word’.

However, by July 2018, Cheryl and Liam made the decision to split.

A pal told The Sun: “Cheryl and Liam worked really hard on their relationship – they had troubles earlier this year and were able to get through them.

“But they’re in different stages of their lives and, after a lot of careful thought, came to a decision that it’s best for everyone if they do go their separate ways.”

Liam and Cheryl released a statement confirming their break-up which read: “We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It’s been a tough decision for us to make.

“We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.”

Liam also made strange comments about his romance with Cheryl, saying their split was partly down to their son Bear.

Since breaking up with Cheryl, Liam’s love life had been just as turbulent as his health worries.

He was linked to supermodel Naomi Campbell, 54, in 2019.

He had an on-off, three-year relationship with ex-fiancée Maya Henry which was said to have ended for good in May, 2022.

Then pictures emerged of him with his arms around American model Aliana Mawla.

The star had arrived in Argentina on September 30 with his most recent girlfriend Kate Cassidy.

He was seen at Niall’s show dancing and meeting fans on October 2.

Liam was staying at Hotel CasaSur in the neighbourhood of Palermo, local media report.

Liam’s final post on social media was put up on his Snapchat only minutes before his death and showed him and Kate.

He had posted earlier in the day talking about riding horses, playing polo and looking forward to returning home to see his dog.

“It’s a lovely day here in Argentina.”

a young man in a suit and tie stands in front of a sign that says all
PA

Liam arriving for a movie premier in 2010[/caption]

a man and a woman are taking a selfie in front of a mirror
Liam’s last post was put up only minutes before his death with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy
a group of young men pose in front of a wall that says help a capital child
Liam with One Direction in 2011

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