Let us be clear right up front:
We do not know what happened to Liam Payne this week.
Yes, we sadly know that the 31-year old singer died after he plummeted three stories from a balcony in a Buenos Aires hotel room.
Beyond that, however?
We can’t say for certain whether or not Payne intentionally jumped off the balcony, which is important to keep in mind when considering this tragedy.
This is important to remember due to what Sharon Osbourne had to say in the wake of Payne’s passing.
“Liam, my heart aches. We all let you down,” wrote the former X-Factor judge on social media, prior to emphasizing that she blames the music world for Payne’s death.
“Where was this industry when you needed them? You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner?”
Payne had been in Argentina since early October.
He and his One Direction co-stars were together from 2010 to 2016, selling more than 70 million records while topping the charts with hits such as “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life.”
In 2017, Payne debuted as a solo singer with “Strip That Down,” after One Direction — which paid tribute this week to Liam — announced an indefinite hiatus. His debut album “LP1” was released in 2019.
Over the last few days, however, it’s clear something was amiss with Liam Payne.
An autopsy report from Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office determined the artist died of “multiple traumas” and “internal and external hemorrhages” after his deadly fall.
The file notes that hotel staff had called 911 just minutes earlier requesting assistance for an unnamed guest who was claimed to be “under the influence of drugs and alcohol and had destroyed some objects in the room.”
Local police reportedly found destroyed objects and furniture inside Payne’s hotel room … as well as substances that “at first glance — and pending confirmation from the experts — would be narcotics and alcoholic beverages.
Due to the injuries Payne sustained in the incident, it is presumed that he “did not adopt a reflex posture to protect himself and that he could have fallen into a state of semi- or total unconsciousness.”
Just so sad all around.
On Friday, Simon Cowell also released a statement regarding Liam Payne’s death.
“You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens,” Cowell, who signed One Direction years ago to Syco Records, said on Instagram.
“Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you.
“This is so difficult to put in words right now. I went outside today, and I thought about so many times we had together.
“I wanted to let you know what I would always say to the thousands of people who would always ask me. What is Liam like? And I would tell them you were kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, focused. And how much love you genuinely had for the fans.”
Concluded Cowell:
Liam, I can see the effect you had on so many people. Because you left us too soon. Rest in peace my friend. And I am sending my love, thoughts and prayers to your family.