Toxicology report reveals Liam Payne had multiple drugs in his system
Former One Direction star Liam Payne had multiple drugs in his system at the time of his death, a new report has claimed.
Payne, who was 31 years old, passed away on October 16th after suffering a fall from a balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The singer had been in the country for over two weeks after initially deciding to travel to South America to attend a concert by his former bandmate Niall Horan at the Movistar Arena in the Argentinian capital on October 2nd before electing to extend his stay.
Reports have since claimed that Payne was forced to leave the US because his application to extend his visa in the United States was initially rejected due to his admittance of past drug abuse. However, the Daily Mail state Payne passed his drug tests carried out at the US Embassy in Argentina and his visa was set to be authorised on October 18th to allow him to return to America.
Alberto Crescenti, an Argentine emergency medical services director, revealed that the pop singer had suffered “serious injuries incompatible with life” following the fatal fall on October 16th.
Crescenti told Argentina’s TN network that medical services had “no possibility of doing anything” to save Payne’s life. “According to what the team saw, he had a fracture at the base of the skull. Very serious injuries,” he said.
Providing more insight into the tragic incident, Crescenti said: “At 17.04 we were alerted through 911 about a person who was in the inner courtyard of the Casa Azul hotel. A few minutes later [an] emergency team arrived and confirmed the death of this man who we later learned was from a musical group.”
Now, ABC News have stated that Payne had a mixture of highly-dangerous drugs in his system at the time of his death. They claim he had taken ‘pink cocaine’ which is typically a mix of methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA. Additionally, benzodiazepine, cocaine and crack were also reportedly found in the toxicology report.
The US news publication also claims that Payne’s body is set to remain in Argentina until the autopsy is completed.
Payne spoke openly about his past abuse of drugs and alcohol. During an appearance on the Diary of a CEO podcast in 2021, he told host Steven Bartlett: “I was worried how far my rock bottom was going to be. Where’s rock bottom for me? And you would never have seen it. I’m very good at hiding it. No one would ever have seen it.”
One Direction’s tributes to Liam Payne
The four surviving members of One Direction shared a joint statement following Payne’s passing before each releasing individual message. As a collective, they said: “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us.”
Niall Horan was the final member of the band to see Payne in person, and reflected on their final encounter poignantly, writing, “I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.”
Meanwhile, in his respective statement, Louis Tomlinson promised that he would be there for Payne’s seven-year-old son, Bear, stating, “I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me, I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was.”
For help, advice or more information regarding drug and alcohol addiction in the UK, visit MIND’s information support.
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