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Liam Payne’s ‘irresponsible’ balcony stunt tweet resurfaces

At the age of just 31, the former One Direction star’s life has ended, after a fall from a hotel in Argentina, leaving fans in shock.

At the age of just 31, the former One Direction star’s life has ended, after a fall from a hotel in Argentina, leaving fans in shock.

Liam Payne’s tragic end in Buenos Aires has left fans stunned, especially with the resurfacing of a tweet from over a decade ago. In 2014, Payne, just 20 at the time, posted a photo of himself standing on the ledge of a high-rise balcony, later calling it “stupid and irresponsible.” Though he quickly deleted the tweet, his warning feels hauntingly prophetic today.

“You may have seen a photo of me today taken on top of a building. I regret being there and having a photo taken,” a young Payne tweeted remorsefully at the time. “It was a stupid and irresponsible thing to do. I am sorry, and do not endorse any fans trying to repeat this, as it is extremely dangerous.”

One Direction stardom of Liam Payne

Payne had long fought his personal battles, and died on Wednesday evening after a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires’ exclusive Palermo district. Police confirmed that when they arrived at the scene, Payne had been intoxicated and combative. He had been in Argentina to support his former bandmate, Niall Horan, at a concert, sharing upbeat moments of his trip on Snapchat just days before the incident – moments that now seem painfully disconnected from his inner struggles.

His death has revived memories of his earlier admission in a 2023 YouTube video, where he confessed to a difficult battle with addiction. He shared that he had spent nearly 100 days in rehab in Louisiana and had been sober for six months at the time, reflecting on how fame had caused him to lose his sense of identity: “I didn’t recognize who I was anymore.”

Payne’s rise to stardom came swiftly as part of One Direction, the globally successful boy band formed during their time on The X Factor. Alongside bandmates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson, Payne tasted the highs of fame but also faced the immense pressures that came with it.

Despite recent statements about feeling more in control of his life, the tragic fall in Argentina has marked a heartbreaking end for the singer, whose life had always seemed a blend of triumph and deep personal struggle. More information is expected to be revealed as the investigation into his death continues.

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