Liam Payne, the former member of One Direction, has died aged 31 in Argentina after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, police say.
In a statement, police said they were dispatched to the hotel after an emergency call in which they were "informed of an aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol".
When they arrived the officer in charge said he heard a loud sound in the inner courtyard of the hotel. Police said the body had been transported to a morgue.
Earlier this month, Payne had attended the Argentina concert of his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan.
Payne was part of the much-loved boyband, along with Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik.
He first tried for stardom when he auditioned for the ITV talent show The X Factor in 2008 – but judge Simon Cowell told him to "come back in two years".
He did, impressing the judges more in 2010, and was put together with four other solo hopefuls at the boot camp stage and One Direction was born.
The group had four UK number-one albums and four number ones singles as well as topping charts around the world, before announcing they were going on a hiatus in 2015.
In 2017, Payne's debut solo single Strip That Down peaked at number three on the Official UK Chart, and his collaboration with Rita Ora on the song For You - from the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack – also reached the top 10.
He married Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole in 2016 and they had a son, Bear, the following year. The couple split in 2018.
In recent weeks, claims had circulated on social media about his behaviour towards other former partners, with one reported on Tuesday to have taken legal action to stop him contacting her friends and family.
Latest Stories
-
Firm hacked after accidentally hiring North Korean cyber criminal
21 mins -
How does WhatsApp make money? It’s free – with some tricks
36 mins -
Businessman granted GH¢2m bail over fraud
52 mins -
Italy bans couples from travelling abroad for surrogacy
1 hour -
We must find ways to counter misinformation in the cyberspace – Peace Council
1 hour -
Hoax bomb threats spark panic for Indian airlines
2 hours -
Father arrested for brutal assault on daughter, 20, in Central Region
2 hours -
Niger drops French place names to honour local heroes
2 hours -
Ex-ANC spokesperson charged with fraud
2 hours -
Former One Direction star Liam Payne dies in Argentina, police say
2 hours -
Diddy accused of ‘revenge’ rape over Tupac claims
2 hours -
You can’t hold NDC to ransom – Gbande to Kwakye-Ackah
3 hours -
Mohammed Kudus issues apology to Ghanaians after Afcon qualification fiasco
3 hours -
I will place a year ban on small-scale mining if I become president – Alan Kyerematen
3 hours -
Ghana’s democracy is a work in progress, military rule not an option – Kwame Pianim
3 hours