British pop star and former One Direction member Liam Payne had several drugs, including crack cocaine and methamphetamine, in his system when he fell to his death from a hotel balcony in Argentina last week, according to initial toxicology results reported by US media on Monday. Payne, 31, died after plummeting from a third-floor room in Buenos Aires.
Sources cited by ABC News and TMZ indicated that Payne had consumed a combination of drugs, including a mix known as “pink cocaine,” which contains methamphetamine, ketamine, and MDMA. Crack cocaine and benzodiazepine were also found during the partial autopsy.
Investigators found an aluminum pipe used for ingesting drugs in the room, where hotel staff had earlier reported Payne causing destruction while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Payne, who had publicly discussed his struggles with substance abuse and the pressures of fame, was alone at the time of the fall, according to post-mortem findings.
Prosecutors stated that Payne suffered multiple injuries and internal hemorrhaging. Photos released by local media showed drug paraphernalia, broken furniture, and white powder in the room. An employee believed to have supplied drugs to the singer was questioned by police but has not been charged.
Liam Payne rose to fame with One Direction after the group formed on “The X Factor” in 2010. The band, which became one of the highest-grossing acts globally, went on hiatus in 2016. Payne later pursued a solo career but continued to struggle with personal issues, including alcohol addiction. He leaves behind a seven-year-old son, whom he shares with Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Tweedy.
