Let’s be clear from the start:
We don’t know what happened to Liam Payne this week.
Yes, unfortunately we know that the 31-year-old singer died after falling three floors of a balcony of a hotel room in Buenos Aires.
Also, though?
We cannot say for sure whether Payne intentionally jumped from the balcony, which is important to keep in mind when considering this tragedy.
This is important to remember because of what Sharon Osbourne said after Payne’s passing.
“Liam, my heart hurts. We all let you down,” the former X-Factor judge wrote on social media, before emphasizing that she blames the music world for Payne’s death.
“Where was this industry when you needed it? You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was by your side?
Payne had been in Argentina since the beginning of October.
He and his One Direction co-stars were together from 2010 to 2016, selling more than 70 million records and topping the charts with hits like “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life.”
In 2017, Payne debuted as a solo singer with “Strip That Down”, after One Direction – which paid tribute this week to Liam – announced an indefinite hiatus. His debut album “LP1” was released in 2019.
In recent days, however, it’s been clear that something was wrong with Liam Payne.
An autopsy report from Argentina’s National Penal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office determined that the artist died of “multiple traumas” and “internal and external hemorrhages” after his fatal fall.
The file notes that hotel staff called 911 just minutes earlier requesting assistance for an unidentified guest who was “under the influence of drugs and alcohol and destroyed some objects in the room.”
Local police reportedly found destroyed objects and furniture inside Payne’s hotel room… as well as substances that “at first glance — and pending confirmation from experts — would be narcotics and alcoholic beverages.
Due to the injuries suffered by Payne in the incident, it is assumed that he “did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself and that he could have fallen into a state of semi or total unconsciousness”.
So sad all around.
On Friday, Simon Cowell also released a statement about the death of Liam Payne.
“You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens,” Cowell, who signed One Direction years ago to Syco Records, said on Instagram.
“Liam, I’m really devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I shed is a memory of you.
“This is so hard to put into words right now. I went out today and thought about so many times we spent together.
“I wanted you to know what I would always say to the thousands of people who always asked me. What’s Liam like? And I would tell them that you were kind, funny, sweet, caring, talented, humble, and focused. And how much love you really had for the fans.”
Cowell concluded:
Liam, I can see the effect you have had on so many people. Because you left us too soon. Rest in peace my friend. And I’m sending my love, thoughts and prayers to your family.