Liam Payne's ex-fiancée breaks silence after former One Direction star falls to his death aged 31
17 October 2024, 01:13 | Updated: 17 October 2024, 22:12
Liam Payne's ex-fiancée has broken her silence after the death of the former One Direction star.
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Payne, 31, died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina on Wednesday.
His shock death prompted tributes both from local fans and from well-wishers around the world.
Payne had been in a relationship with Maya Henry on-and-off for three years.
A source close to Ms Henry told Mail Online after his death: "Right now she is obviously in shock".
Read more: Liam Payne, former One Direction star, dies after falling from hotel balcony
Payne and Henry first got together in 2019 and became engaged for the first time the next year.
The couple broke up in 2021 before reuniting and resuming their engagement. They split up again in 2022.
Henry had claimed recently that Payne had been giving her unwanted attention despite their break-up. A lawyer said she had issued a cease and desist order against him.
At the time of his death, Payne was in a relationship with Kate Cassidy.
He had previously been in a relationship with Cheryl Cole, with whom he had a young son called Bear.
Buenos Aires police said Payne fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo neighborhood of Argentina's capital, resulting in "extremely serious injuries" before medics confirmed his death.
Pictures show fans gathering outside the hotel after police cordoned off the area with forensic investigators seen entering and exiting in white protective suits and blue gloves.
Payne was part of the original line-up of One Direction, formed in 2010, alongside Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles.
After becoming one of the biggest pop groups in the world with five albums and four world tours, One Direction went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.
Earlier this month, Payne attended bandmate Horan's Argentinian concert alongside his girlfriend Kate Cassidy.
Payne, who was born in Wolverhampton, released his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019 which included the singles Polaroid and Familiar.
Payne first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 at the age of 14 singing Frank Sinatra's Fly Me To The Moon, with judge Simon Cowell telling him to return to the reality show at an older age.
He impressed the judges in 2010 singing Michael Buble's Cry Me A River before he was put with four other solo hopefuls at the boot camp stage of the competition - the group which later became One Direction.
In August last year, Payne postponed his scheduled tour of South America after suffering from a "serious kidney infection".
He said the infection was something "I wouldn't wish on anyone" and he had been instructed by doctors to "rest and recover".
Later last year he was banned from driving in the UK after admitting a speeding offence.
The singer was reportedly travelling at 43mph in a 30mph zone and was banned from driving for six months, as well as paying a fine, in October 2023.
Former One Direction star Liam Payne dies 'falling from a hotel balcony'
In August, Payne was announced as a judge on a new talent show alongside former Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland and The Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger.
The stars were to judge attempts to create a band, looking at the contestants' chemistry as they formed groupings in the musical competition series.
