Argentina charges five in de@th of singer Liam Payne

Five individuals have been indicted in Argentina in connection with the de@th of British singer Liam Payne, who fell from a Buenos Aires hotel balcony in October after consuming alcohol and drugs, prosecutors announced on Monday, December 30.

Three of the five have been charged with manslaughter, while the other two face charges for supplying the former One Direction star with illegal drugs. The suspects have been identified only by their initials, with the two accused of drug supply now in custody, while the others remain free, prosecutors confirmed.

Payne, aged 31, died on October 16 after falling from the balcony of his third-floor room at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires. His death prompted a global outpouring of grief from family, fans, former bandmates, and others, with vigils held in cities worldwide.

The individuals charged with manslaughter include a representative of the singer who was traveling with him, a woman managing the hotel, and the head of its reception desk. Those accused of supplying drugs to Payne are a hotel employee and a waiter he had met elsewhere in the city, according to prosecutors.

Investigations revealed that Payne had consumed cocaine, alcohol, and a prescription antidepressant before his fatal fall. Payne had previously spoken publicly about his struggles with substance abuse and the challenges of coping with fame at an early age.