I saw Liam Payne struggle weeks before his death and it'll haunt me forever

Liam died on Wednesday after falling from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was just 31.

A showbiz reporter says they saw Liam Payne "struggle with fame during his last trip to Australia" and "it will haunt me forever". Liam died on Wednesday after falling from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was just 31.

DailyMail.com's Ali Dahler writes: "It's a horrifically sad day for all One Direction fans. Liam Payne is gone. As a fan who has followed Liam's career since the very beginning, from One Direction's meteoric rise to his solo success, I've been lucky enough to meet him on several occasions.

"And despite the chaos that comes with fame, each time he was kind and generous. But there was a dark side too - a side I saw during his last visit to Australia and it will haunt me forever." Ali wrote: "I met Liam at popular Japanese restaurant Sokyo at The Star. He had been drinking, and while he still smiled for photos something was off.

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"His eyes carried a weight I hadn't seen before, a sadness that ran deep." Ali went on, writing in the Mail today: "People around him treated him like an object, snapping pictures without saying a word and then walking away."

Payne had been vocal about struggling with alcoholism, posting a video in July 2023 to his YouTube channel where he said he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment. Representatives for Payne did not immediately return emails and calls.

He had been in Buenos Aires for Niall's tour when he tragically plunged from the third floor this afternoon, TMZ reported. A source later confirmed to The Sun that Liam had died. The Strip That Down hitmaker had travelled to South America to see Niall perform.

Look: Liam Payne life in pictures after star dies aged of 31

He joked with fans that he wanted to "square up a couple of things" with his former bandmate.