"I came out the other end, but I'm one of few" — Backstreet Boys AJ McLean reflects on Liam Payne's passing

Liam Payne died on October 16, 2024, at the age of 31, and the circumstances leading to his demise have been creating headlines for some time. While the singer's ex-girlfriend Aliana Mawla paid tribute to him on social media a few days ago, The Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean recently expressed his grief in a recent interview.

While speaking to a reporter at the Los Angeles International Airport, McLean recalled the time when he worked with Payne on the upcoming Netflix series Building the Band. A video of the conversation was shared by TMZ where AJ McLean described Liam Payne as a "friend" and continued:

"We spent six weeks together, and you know, it's absolutely tragic. I'm still processing it, I'm sure as well as his family and bandmates."

He further stated:

"My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone – the family, his bandmates, to the fans."

McLean said that he and Payne had a lot of things in common considering that they similarly battled addiction issues over the years. AJ shared that he never addressed the topic of sobriety while speaking to Liam, adding that they mostly talked about life.

"Addiction is a real thing. Fortunately I came out the other end, but I'm one of few," McLean said.

Apart from his work with Backstreet Boys, AJ McLean participated in shows such as RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race. Furthermore, he has portrayed important roles in projects like Welcome Freshmen and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

---

More details related to Liam Payne's death

Also known as Liam James Payne, he fell from the third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires. According to E! News, cops arrived at the hotel on October 16 after responding to a 911 call related to an individual who was showing aggressive behavior "under the influence of drugs or alcohol".

The alleged call was made by the hotel manager and the police officer officers heard a thud after coming to the place. They later discovered Payne in the courtyard and while speaking to Todo Noticias, head of the state emergency medical system Alberto Crescenti stated that Liam fell around 13 or 14 meters below the ground.

While an investigation is ongoing, an autopsy report by the National Criminal and Prosecutor's Office No. 16 reported that Liam Payne died of polytrauma. The report also stated that he had hemorrhages in the "skull, thorax, abdomen and limbs."

As per the latest update, multiple substances were reportedly discovered in Liam Payne's system during a partial autopsy, including pink cocaine, which features methamphetamine, ketamine, and MDMA, as per ABC News. On the other hand, an aluminum pipe was also found in his hotel room, which was possibly used to consume drugs.

Notably, the Buenos Aires Police Department revealed more details about the items they discovered while searching Payne's hotel room, as per The Associated Press. The cops found clonazepam alongside energy supplements and over-the-counter drugs. Payne's body was taken to the Judicial Morgue from the hotel and the autopsy report also claimed:

"At this point, analysis of stomach contents, alcohol and blood toxins, vitreous humor, bile, nasal swab and urine was required to determine alcohols and toxins."

Liam Payne accumulated a huge fanbase for his work with the popular boy band One Direction. He was additionally involved in philanthropic activities where he supported organizations such as UNICEF and CLIC Sargent. He released only one album as a solo artist, titled LP1.