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Liam Payne Seen ‘Enjoying Himself’ at Niall Horan Show Before His Death, Fan Says (Exclusive)

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Liam Payne was enjoying former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan’s Oct. 2 concert two weeks before his death.

On Oct. 16, Payne died after falling multiple stories at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Policía Federal Argentina previously confirmed to PEOPLE. He was 31.

A fan of the late singer named Noelia exclusively tells PEOPLE that leading up to Payne’s death, she had a few interactions with him while he was in Buenos Aires.

“I ran into him by chance. I had found out on Twitter that he was here for Niall’s show,” she tells PEOPLE. “We took photos together. I waited for him to approach us, and we took pictures with all the fans,” Noelia says, adding, “He talked to us, hugged us, and even made jokes.”

Liam Payne in Madrid, Spain on May 4, 2018.

Vitor De Los Reyes/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 


Payne attended Horan’s Oct. 2 show at the Movistar Arena, which Noelia also attended. There she says, “he was dancing, waving, and cheering.” 

“When Niall started singing one of the One Direction songs, everyone was looking at Liam,” she recalls. “He seemed to be enjoying himself.” 

A fan captured a video of Payne clapping along to the music at his former bandmate’s gig and leaning over the edge of a glass barrier while posing for fans’ photos and videos, per Pop Crave.

Noelia reveals that fans came to the hotel, and there he “took photos with everyone.” She notes, “Nothing strange or unusual about his behavior.”

However, she said he was “asked to leave the hotel because fans were constantly gathering at the door, bothering other guests.”

The singer then stayed at an apartment, which Noelia says may have belonged to a friend. During his stay there, he would go out to dinner and “take pictures with fans waiting outside,” and “was always open to it, full of love.” 

Liam Payne on December 05, 2022 in London, England.

Mike Marsland/WireImage


Payne died two weeks after the concert after he fell multiple stories at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires. Payne died from multiple injuries and “internal and external” hemorrhages of the skull, thorax, abdomen and limbs, according to a preliminary autopsy report. 

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Following his death several celebrities have paid tribute to the singer, including his former bandmates.

Horan, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson shared a joint statement on Instagram stating they are processing “the loss of our brother.” Shortly after, Malik, 32, Tomlinson, 31, and Styles, 30, each released individual statements.

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