The body of pop star Liam Payne was released to his family on Wednesday and is being flown back to the UK, as confirmed by the public prosecutor overseeing his case in Argentina.
The 31-year-old singer passed away three weeks ago after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
An autopsy revealed that Payne suffered both internal and external bleeding, along with multiple traumatic injuries from the fall.
His body had been retained in Argentina while authorities completed additional toxicology and laboratory tests. It was handed over to his family on Wednesday, according to public prosecutor Andrés Madrea.
Payne, known for his rise to fame with the boyband One Direction in the 2010s, was also a successful solo artist with hits like “Strip That Down” and “Bedroom Floor.”
In the days leading up to his death, reports emerged that Payne was facing legal action from his ex-fiancée, Maya Henry, who had filed a cease-and-desist order due to what she described as “obsessive” contact.
At the time of his death, Payne’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, revealed that the couple had been planning to get married.
The singer’s family expressed their heartbreak, saying, “Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.”
In October, some media outlets cited preliminary toxicology tests, which the Associated Press reported indicated possible cocaine exposure, according to an unnamed official.
However, the official clarified that these initial results don’t provide an accurate measure of the drug’s level in Payne’s system at the time of his death.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Argentina continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding his passing.