Liam Payne reportedly accumulated a $550 alcohol bill on the final day of his life despite receiving a written warning from a psychiatrist about mixing alcohol with his prescription medications. The newly obtained documents add heartbreaking context to the former One Direction singer’s longstanding struggle with substance abuse, which he had discussed publicly years before his fatal fall from a Buenos Aires hotel balcony.
Payne previously admitted that isolation, sudden fame and the pressures of touring contributed to his dependence on “pills and booze.” He also confessed that he was uncertain how far his personal “rock bottom” might go.
According to documents obtained by the Daily Mail, Payne’s psychiatrist had warned him not to consume alcohol while taking his prescribed medications. Despite that warning, the singer reportedly amassed a $550 bill for alcohol at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel on October 16, 2024.
Witnesses previously claimed hotel employees delivered bottles of alcohol to Payne’s room during his final hours. Two women who spent part of the day with him alleged that he ordered champagne for them and two bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky for himself.
The newly disclosed total offers a clearer picture of how much alcohol was reportedly ordered while Payne was also using prescription medication and cocaine. Toxicology testing later found traces of alcohol, cocaine, benzodiazepine, crack cocaine, and “pink cocaine,” which is a mixture of methamphetamine, MDMA, and ketamine.
Liam Payne Worried About Finding His ‘Rock Bottom’
Payne had spoken openly about his substance-use struggles during a 2021 appearance on “The Diary of a CEO” podcast. “I was worried [about] how far my rock bottom was going to be. Where’s rock bottom for me? And you would never have seen it. I’m very good at hiding it,” he told the host. “I don’t even know if I’ve hit it yet.”
During the interview, Payne acknowledged struggling with “pills and booze” and experiencing “moments of suicidal ideation” at the height of One Direction’s success. Although the group’s international fame created extraordinary opportunities, Payne said the effort to manage the band’s enormous popularity often left its members isolated in hotel rooms.
“In the band… the best way to secure us, because of how big we’d got, was just to lock us in our rooms. What’s in the room? A mini-bar,” he recalled.
Payne said he responded to that isolation by drinking alone. “So at a certain point I thought, I’m just going to have a party-for-one and that seemed to carry on for many years of my life,” he explained. “Then you look back at how long you’ve been drinking and you’re like, ‘Jesus Christ, that’s a long time.’”
Lonely Hotel Rooms ‘Really F-cked’ The Singer Up
Payne described feeling “trapped” in “lonely hotel rooms” while touring with One Direction. The experience “really f-cked me up,” he admitted. “There were points where it was toxic and difficult. Don’t get me wrong, we had the best time ever, but… you don’t realize you have a choice at that point.”
His comments became especially haunting after he died alone at a hotel while reportedly under the influence of alcohol, cocaine and prescription medication.
Payne was only a teenager when One Direction formed on “The X Factor.” The group’s rapid rise exposed him to international fame before he had fully matured. “I still feel like a child in so many ways. There is no link between money and happiness. It is a myth. Money is the ability to relax on certain things,” he said.
Payne also admitted feeling relieved when One Direction began its hiatus because he feared continuing at the same pace would destroy him. “The day the band ended, I was like, ‘Thank the Lord.’ I know a lot of people are going to be mad at me for saying that, but I needed to stop or it would kill me,” he said.
Liam Payne Experienced Several Public Warning Signs
In 2014, while still a member of One Direction, Payne alarmed fans after a photograph showed him standing on the ledge of an apartment building in East London. The image was shared by one of his friends, and Payne subsequently apologized.
Years later, he appeared to be intoxicated during a controversial June 2022 appearance on Logan Paul’s “Impaulsive” podcast. Payne later revealed that he had undergone treatment and was working toward sobriety.
In May 2023, Payne offered an encouraging update after spending time in rehab. “I’m sober now, over 100 days. I feel amazing, I feel really, really good and the support from the fans has been really, really good, so I’m super happy,” he said at the time.
However, the newly obtained documents suggest that Payne had returned to heavy substance use before his death the following year.
Three Manslaughter Charges Were Dismissed
Payne died after falling from the balcony of room 310 at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel. Five people were initially charged in connection with Payne’s death in December 2024.
His friend Roger Nores, receptionist Esteban Grassi and hotel manager Gilda Martin faced manslaughter charges. Those charges were dismissed in February 2025 after an appellate court found insufficient evidence of criminal negligence.
Hotel employee Ezequiel Pereyra and waiter Braian Paiz still face allegations that they supplied Payne with cocaine.
Pereyra is accused of selling the singer cocaine on October 15 and 16, while Paiz allegedly sold him cocaine twice on October 14. The allegations against both men have not yet been proven in court.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or experiencing a crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For confidential substance-use treatment referrals, contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
