Liam Payne was seen “passed out” in the lobby of his Buenos Aires hotel shortly before he died, according to an eyewitness interviewed for a new “Nightline” documentary special.
Produced by ABC News Studio, the latest episode of their “Impact x Nightline” series aired Thursday and focused on the former One Direction singer’s final days in Argentina before he fell from the balcony of his third-floor room at the CasaSur Palermo hotel on Oct. 16.
“We had multiple encounters with Liam,” an unnamed guest said in the special, per Us Weekly. “[There were] multiple times, he had come down to the lobby, was causing a disturbance. [He] kept being escorted back up to his room.”
Liam Payne Getty Images for BFI
Former One Direction singer Liam Payne in his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina in what is presumed to be the last video he posted on his Snapchat before he died. via REUTERS
The guest, reportedly a tourist, recalled the singer appearing “very frustrated” each time they saw him in the lobby.
“[Liam] was smashing his laptop in the lobby,” the person told “Nightline.” “And then the final time he came back down, he actually passed out in the lobby of the hotel.”
The eyewitness account matches previous reports that emerged shortly after the singer’s death, which also claimed he smashed his laptop in the CasaSur hotel lobby before he died and was acting “erratic.”
A photograph of Liam Payne seemingly returning to his hotel room in Buenos Aires is reportedly the final image of the singer before he fell from a balcony to his death. America TV
A photo released by Buenos Aires Police shows a TV with a broken screen and a half-full glass of champagne at the hotel room where Liam Payne was staying in Buenos Aires on October 16, 2024 before he died. Buenos Aires Police/AFP via Getty Images
Payne checked in to the CasaSur hotel after allegedly being kicked out of another Buenos Aires hotel “because he was being a nuisance and disturbing the other guests and appeared intoxicated.”
Though it’s not clear how Payne made it back to his hotel room after supposedly passing out in the hotel lobby, a report from TMZ published shortly after he died claimed the singer had to be carried back to his suite.
Liam Payne was staying at the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina before he died. REUTERS
On Wednesday, Buenos Aires police raided the hotel where Liam Payne was staying when he fell to his death from the balcony of his suite. MatÃas Baglietto/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Around 5 p.m. local time, a manager at the hotel called emergency services and requested assistance to deal with a guest they said appeared to be drunk, on drugs and breaking items in his room.
When first responders arrived, Payne had already fallen from his third-floor balcony. According to a preliminary autopsy report viewed by multiple news outlets, the star died from “multiple injuries” that involved both internal and external bleeding.
The autopsy also revealed he had a dangerous cocktail of drugs in his system, including “Cristal,” a drug that creates powerful hallucinations, and “pink cocaine,” also called Tusi, which combines methamphetamine, ketamine and ecstasy. The report stated Payne “was in a state of semi or total unconsciousness” when he fell.
Fans gathered outside the hotel where Liam Payne was staying after learning of his death on Oct. 16. REUTERS
First responders work near the hotel where Liam Payne, former One Direction member, was found dead, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 16, 2024. REUTERS
Photos of Payne’s hotel room published after Payne’s tragic passing revealed a grim scene: a smashed TV, drug-related paraphernalia and possible illicit substances.
On Wednesday, Buenos Aires police raided Payne’s hotel and reportedly seized computer hard drives and footage from hotel cameras.
Law enforcement is allegedly trying to discover who provided Payne with the illicit drugs found in his system, with particular attention being paid to a Dove soap box discovered in the singer’s hotel room that officials believe could have been used to transport drugs to the star discreetly.
Police found a grim scene in Liam Payne’s hotel room: a smashed TV, drug-related paraphernalia and possible illicit substances. .
The investigation into Payne’s death is ongoing.
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).