Geoff Payne is mourning Liam Payne at the hotel where his son spent his final moments before he died on Oct. 16.
Geoff, 66, arrived at CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Friday, Oct. 18, to recover his son’s belongings and arrange his repatriation to the United Kingdom, per the BBC and Argentine news channel TN.
Geoff Payne on Oct. 18, 2024; Liam Payne in June 2024. AP Photo/Mario De Fina; PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
As he arrived on Friday morning — less than two days after the former One Direction member was pronounced dead after falling from a hotel balcony — he was met with throngs of fans and the memorial tributes they pieced together outside of the hotel.
Geoff stopped to thank the fans gathered outside, TN reported. He also looked at the shrines erected in his son’s honor, reading some of the messages fans penned to his son and kissing a photo of him.
Geoff Payne in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Oct. 18, 2024. Luciano Gonzalez/Anadolu via Getty
After Geoff entered the hotel, some of Liam’s fans attempted to keep press from following him into the building, and they later raised their hands to shield him from the media while he was inside, TN noted.
One of the fans who helped form the barrier told the BBC that fans at the hotel wanted to give Geoff “a moment” to express his feelings and to “see how much we love Liam.”
The U.K. outlet also noted that earlier in his visit, the musician’s father also visited a Buenos Aires morgue in order to officially identify his son and make his repatriation arrangements.
Geoff Payne at CasaSur Palermo Hotel on Oct. 18, 2024. AP Photo/Mario De Fina
Liam died on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at age 31 after falling several stories from his hotel balcony. It was later revealed by a preliminary autopsy report that the “Strip That Down” singer died from multiple injuries and “internal and external” hemorrhages.
The coroners also confirmed that “no defensive injuries were found,” corroborating local authorities reports that the star allegedly jumped from the balcony of his hotel room before his death.
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Geoff Payne at CasaSur Palermo Hotel on Oct. 18, 2024. AP Photo/Mario De Fina
An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the musician’s sudden death.
Geoff has not spoken publicly about his son’s death, but the musician’s family did release a statement to several outlets, including the BBC.
“We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” the statement read. “We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
Geoff Payne and Liam Payne in 2020. Liam Payne/Facebook
His sister, Ruth Gibbins, also shared a tribute to the late One Direction alum, writing that she would “drive to the end of the universe to bring you back.”
In a heartbreaking tribute shared on Instagram, Gibbins included several sweet moments the brother-sister duo shared throughout the years. She said that the musician “is my best friend, no one could ever make me laugh as much as him, doing his impressions always had me creasing and he loved seeing how much of a laugh he could get.”
Gibbins concluded her message by promising to “take care of” Liam’s 7-year-old son Bear. “He will always know how incredible his Dad is and how much you idolize him,” she wrote. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. Love you, oh how my heart misses you.”
