"He needed help, not to be sent up to his room" - Fans rue death of Liam Payne amid pink cocaine revelation as hotel staff come under scrutiny

Popstar Liam Payne died on September 16 after falling from the third-floor balcony of his room at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the age of 31. In the aftermath of his demise, preliminary toxicology reports have been obtained by media outlets such as ABC News and TMZ published on Monday, October 21.

They have revealed that the former One Direction member reportedly had a drug cocktail in his system called “pink cocaine” which constitutes methamphetamine, ketamine, and MDMA. Crack cocaine, ecstasy, crystal meth, and benzodiazepine were also allegedly found during a partial autopsy.

In the wake of these revelations, fans of the now-deceased singer are ruing the tragedy and the circumstances surrounding it. While some have blamed the hotel staff for seemingly being negligent and not taking care of their guest better, others have claimed that Liam Payne got hold of the alleged drugs from someone who worked there.

For instance, X user Nicole (@HARRYSSL*TTYGF) shared a post with four snaps – an image of Liam Payne, the Wikipedia page of “pink cocaine,” a picture of a pink-colored powder, and The Shade Room’s IG post on the news update.

“'Pink cocaine' is basically a mixture of hallucinogenic drugs. In the moment of his death, he REALLY couldn’t tell reality from illusions… he NEEDED help not to be sent up to his room… this is heartbreaking,” the post was captioned.

A netizen comments on Liam Payne's death. (Image via X/ HARRYSSL*TTYGF)

Many people joined the conversation and shared similar reactions on the platform.

“No matter how many drugs Liam Payne had in his system, taking him back to his hotel after he was passed out or seizing in the lobby is not okay. That hotel and their staff need to be held accountable especially when their employee sold it to him,” a person wrote.

“The fact this could have been prevented is going to haunt me for the rest of my life,” wrote another.

“Makes me so insanely angry. WHY would they not call an ambulance when he was convulsing?” one person asked.

Others continued to provide similar responses and claimed that Liam Payne was trying to seek help but couldn’t and his fateful outcome might have been triggered by being locked inside a hotel room alone.

“His death was completely avoidable, and when you put it like that, it becomes even sadder. He was practically begging for help in his final moments, but nobody around him was able to provide it. This whole situation becomes ever more gut-wrenching with every new detail,” a fan wrote.

“HE JUST WANTED TO ESCAPE! The locked room gave him PTSD. Someone should have stayed with him,” one fan wrote.

“My first thought about this, being locked in the hotel again might have brought flashbacks from 1D days being locked in hotel rooms alone :( if he was trying to get out through the balcony :(,” another fan wrote.

Meanwhile, some defended the hotel staff and shared how they were in no way responsible for what happened to Liam Payne.

“The hotel staff are not counselors, nor are they trained in identifying and dealing with drug addiction… this is not on them! The reality is he made bad choices and unfortunately suffered the consequences. Supposition and grave vine gossip only serve to further upset his loved ones… have a bit of respect!” a user wrote.

“It is NOT the hotel employee’s job to try and subdue a man who’s erratic/violent and tweaking out on drugs. horrible the way that it happened but dealing with someone who is hallucinating, aggressive, and cannot be reasoned with is dangerous without proper training,” wrote another.

Notably, as per the Associated Press, an anonymous source told them that the preliminary toxicology report suggested “evidence of exposure to cocaine.” However, unless the final results were made available, nothing could be said for certain. They aren’t expected to be made public for another month.

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In brief, exploring the circumstances surrounding Liam Payne’s death

Apart from the preliminary toxicology report, which hinted that Liam Payne was under the influence of drugs ahead of his death, investigators have discovered narcotic substances and alcohol scattered on the furniture and other broken items across his hotel room. Law enforcement agents also found a clonazepam blister pack and other over-the-counter medications inside his belongings.

Meanwhile, local news channels showed pictures from the hotel room, which revealed a destroyed TV screen and “snow-like powder” on a table. Besides, the hotel manager and another hotel staff also made 911 calls to the police, reporting them about a guest who was behaving erratically, probably under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and was a potential danger to his own life.

In the wake of this revelation, the Argentina National Prosecutors’ Office has concluded that Payne fell from his third-floor hotel room balcony in a state of “semi or total unconsciousness” and did not adopt “a reflexive posture to protect himself.”

“Everything indicates that the musician was alone with the fall occurred and that he was going through some kind of breakdown as a result of substance abuse,” the statement read.

They have also reported that no other person was reportedly involved in his death, as evident from the lack of defensive wounds. The prosecutors have also surmised that Liam Payne died from “multiple trauma” and “internal and external bleeding.”

So far, it remains unclear how Liam Payne got hold of the substances. However, police have interviewed two women and three hotel staff in relation to this line of inquiry. Reportedly, all five of them visited Payne’s room in the hours leading up to his demise, and one or more of them are suspected to have supplied the drugs.