Liam Payne ‘passed out’ in hotel lobby before he died: ‘Nightline’ doc
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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).
