A hotel employee has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of former One Direction singer Liam Payne, who passed away on October 16, 2024, after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel. Braian Nahuel Paiz, a 24-year-old waiter, is accused of supplying drugs to Payne prior to his death and could face a prison sentence of four to 15 years if convicted.
Authorities arrested Paiz at his home near Buenos Aires on January 3, following an investigation by Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office. He was one of five individuals charged in connection to Payne’s death. Other defendants include CasaSur hotel employees Ezequiel Pereyra, who was also charged with drug supply, and head of security Gilda Martin, along with receptionist Esteban Grassi and Payne’s friend Roger Nores, both facing manslaughter charges.
Payne, 31, died from multiple injuries, including hemorrhages in his chest, skull, and abdomen. A preliminary autopsy revealed that several drugs were in his system at the time, including “pink cocaine,” cocaine, ketamine, MDMA, benzodiazepines, and crack.
During a televised interview in November 2024, Paiz denied the allegations, claiming he met Payne at a restaurant weeks before his death and later socialized with him. “I never supplied Liam with drugs,” Paiz stated, admitting they took drugs together but insisting he neither brought substances to Payne nor received money for them. He claimed to have text messages confirming their meetings.
Payne’s death has shocked fans worldwide, with his former One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan attending his funeral in Amersham, England, on November 20.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the charges against those allegedly involved highlight the circumstances surrounding Payne’s tragic final days, with further updates expected from the ongoing investigation.
