When the news broke on October 16th, 2024, that Liam Payne tragically passed in Buenos Aires, gasps could be heard around the world. Directioners who had grown up with One Direction were devastated, and the tributes came flooding in. But almost immediately, questions surfaced about the circumstances of his fall.
Nearly two years on, those questions are still being answered piece by piece, through police investigations, toxicology reports, criminal charges and now, sworn testimony from two women who were with him on the final day of his life. The picture emerging is of a man in serious crisis. And the full story is still not complete.
Liam Payne's untimely passing was one that shook fans across the globe, and the circumstances surrounding it are still shrouded in mystery
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Another piece of the puzzle has been revealed as two woman have given their sword testimonies in the case
Payne had arrived in Buenos Aires 16 days before his death, initially to wait for the renewal of his US visa. By all accounts, the first two weeks were relatively stable as he was sober, in the company of his girlfriend Kate Cassidy and Argentine businessman Rogelio Nores. But when Kate flew to Miami on October 14th, and Nores also departed, something shifted.
Payne's behaviour deteriorated rapidly. He was reportedly asked to leave the exclusive five-star Park Hyatt hotel after trashing his room and drunkenly ranting at staff. He checked into the four-star CasaSur Palermo Hotel. And it was there, on the morning of October 16th, that escorts Aldana Serrano and Lucila Goitea say they were hired to spend time with him.
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They were call girls hired to spend time with him in his final hours, and they described a chaotic scene
According to the sworn statements, Payne hired the two women to spend time with him at the hotel on the morning of his death. After their time together, he allegedly became flustered when he was unable to pay the agreed fee of $5,000 as he had no cash on him, despite being worth an estimated £21 million.
He reportedly offered them his £30,000 gold Rolex watch as payment instead. When they declined, he smashed it, telling them he didn't care about the money and that he could "have ten of those." He then punched the hotel television three times. "We told him we only wanted money, so he took the watch and smashed it," one of the women said in her statement.
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He reportedly tried to pay them with his Rolex and continued to smash the hotel room TV to prove a point
"He told us he didn't care about the money. And then he broke the TV, he punched it. He made us understand that he could smash everything because he knew he could pay for it." The women say he then got down on his knees and pleaded with them to stay, telling them that money didn't make him happy.
He reportedly drunkenly performed his own songs in front of them and asked for illegal substances. The women eventually left and informed hotel staff about his behaviour. They returned at 4 pm to collect belongings they had left behind, at which point Payne reportedly apologised. He fell from his balcony at approximately 5.07 pm.
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Two people will stand trial in December in connection with the event, but their roles were that of enablers
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These new statements add to evidence of illicit substances that were found on the scene the day of the fall
Toxicology results confirmed that at the time of his death, Payne had drugs, alcohol, and a strong sedative in his system. Two people connected to the hotel have since been charged in relation to the supply of the substances: hotel worker Ezequiel Pereyra, 22, and waiter Braian Paiz, 26. Both deny the charges.
They spent months in custody before being bailed and are scheduled to stand trial on December 1st. The charges represent the Argentine authorities' attempt to establish criminal responsibility for what happened that day, not the fall itself, but the chain of events and supply lines that preceded it.
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The investigation is ongoing, and the trial to charge his enablers is set to start in December 2026
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Back in the UK, Payne's family are still waiting for a full inquest. A pre-inquest hearing took place on May 7th, at which Senior Coroner for Buckinghamshire Crispin Butler confirmed that no police updates had been received from Argentina since January of last year.
"Since the last pre-inquest review, we have had no further disclosure of evidence from Argentina via the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office," he said. "My understanding is the investigations are continuing, and I await further developments."
The inquest has been adjourned until at least December 1st for a further pre-inquest review. Payne left behind a son, Bear, whom he shared with singer Cheryl Cole. Bear was seven years old when his father died.
Do you think these kinds of testimonies add anything to the case or should the whole thing be put to rest? Share your thoughts in the comments!
People in the comments were still full of love for Liam, finding it hard to believe his last hours could have been so dark
