Liam Payne, the former member of One Direction, was found to have multiple drugs in his system when he tragically fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Reports from various local and international media outlets indicate that a toxicology analysis revealed the British singer, who passed away at the age of 31, had substances including “pink cocaine” at the time of his death.
“Pink cocaine,” a recreational drug that typically consists of a mix of MDMA, ketamine, and methamphetamine, was mentioned in a report by ABC News. Other Argentine media, including Todo Noticias, confirmed the preliminary findings, which showed evidence of cocaine as well as traces of methamphetamines, ketamine, MDMA, benzodiazepines, and crack cocaine. However, NBC News has yet to verify these reports independently.
Despite its name, law enforcement officials have stated that “pink cocaine” often contains little to no actual cocaine, with the coloring coming from added food dyes. Bridget Brennan, the special narcotics prosecutor for New York, noted in August that pink cocaine generally comprises various substances, which is common among street drugs.
The final toxicology report is not expected to be released publicly for several weeks, and an official date for its availability has yet to be confirmed.
Emergency services received a call from a hotel receptionist reporting that a distressed and intoxicated guest was causing chaos in his room. The caller expressed concern for the guest’s safety due to his access to a balcony.
According to Argentine emergency service Sistema de Atencion Medica de Emergencia, Liam Payne fell from the balcony of his third-floor hotel room. Officials confirmed he was found dead shortly after the emergency call was made. An autopsy revealed that Payne had sustained 25 injuries consistent with a high fall, leading to the determination of death by polytraumatism and internal and external hemorrhage.
Liam Payne rose to fame as a member of the popular boy band One Direction, formed in 2010 by Simon Cowell after the group auditioned separately for The X Factor. After the band disbanded, he embarked on a solo career, achieving success with his debut single “Strip That Down” in 2017, which reached number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
His former bandmates expressed their profound sadness over his passing, describing themselves as “completely devastated” in a joint statement on the group’s Instagram account. Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik shared personal tributes on their own Instagram pages, stating that they felt they had lost a brother.