Fact Check: Debunking the Viral Video of Liam Payne Falling from a Balcony

Liam Payne, the former One Direction star, sadly passed away on October 16 during a vacation in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the age of 31. Following the news of his death, a video has circulated online, purportedly showing a man resembling the singer falling from a hotel balcony.

However, it is crucial to clarify that claims suggesting the individual in the video is the “Strip That Down”artist are unfounded.

A local police report shared with CNN stated that Payne’s death occurred after he fell from a balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel, which is situated on Costa Rica Street in the Palermo area.

Authorities in Buenos Aires indicated that they responded to the hotel after receiving a report from a staff member about a disruptive guest believed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

In the aftermath of his death, many users took to X (formerly Twitter) to share the video of a man falling from a balcony. One user, @callofboring, tweeted:

“An unconfirmed video of his fall in Argentina has been released. Our hearts are with him and his family.”

This tweet garnered nearly 350,000 views at the time of this writing.

Despite the video appearing to be authentic, it is important to affirm that it does not feature Liam Payne.

The viral video of a man falling is confirmed to not be Liam Payne

Notes from the community on X specified that the person in the video is not Liam Payne. The note clarified:

“This video shows a man jumping from a burning building in Mexico City on September 13, 2022. It is unrelated to Liam Payne’s death in Argentina on October 16, 2024.”

Further, community notes included links to articles covering the incident of the burning building.

According to Regeneracion, the video depicted a man leaping from an apartment between República de Cuba and República Chile streets in Mexico City, apparently fleeing from flames. Emergency responders later transported him to a hospital.

Therefore, it can be confidently stated that the viral footage is not connected to Liam Payne in any way.

Liam Payne was vacationing in Argentina with Kate Cassidy

Reports from TMZ indicated that Liam Payne was in Argentina with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, who arrived in the country on September 30. Throughout their trip, the couple shared numerous posts on social media, showcasing their enjoyment of each other’s company.

On October 2, they attended a concert by Payne’s former bandmate Niall Horan at Buenos Aires’ Movistar Arena. However, Cassidy departed the country on October 14 while Payne checked in to the CasaSur Palermo Hotel.

Alberto Crescenti, the director of the state emergency medical services, informed Todo Noticias TV in Argentina that Payne fell approximately 13 or 14 meters, sustaining injuries that resulted in immediate death. He commented:

“We arrived in time to try and revive him, but there was nothing we could do.”

Reports from hotel staff indicated that Liam was acting erratically prior to the incident, reportedly under the influence of substances. Witnesses noted that he had damaged his laptop and required assistance to return to his room.

An autopsy has not yet been conducted.

Payne leaves behind a seven-year-old son named Bear, from his previous relationship with Cheryl Cole.

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