Liam Payne’s Cousin Reveals Heartbreaking Detail About Singer’s Final Day

Weeks after previously unseen CCTV footage shed new light on Liam Payne’s final hours, his cousin Ross Harris has spoken about a missed phone call from the former One Direction star on the day he died.

Payne died aged 31 on 16 October 2024 after falling 46 feet from a balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His cause of death was recorded as polytrauma.

A toxicology report later found cocaine, alcohol and the powerful sedative Klonopin in his system at the time of his death.

CCTV shows Payne’s final hours

Police-released CCTV footage offered a glimpse into Payne’s movements inside the hotel shortly before his death.

In some of the footage, Payne is seen in the hotel lobby with two women, identified as ldana Serrano and Lucila Goite. Both women said they had sex with the singer in the hours before his death.

Other clips show Payne sitting in the lobby while the women spoke with him, as well as standing near the reception desk.

Further footage captured him moving through the hotel corridors and swinging from a nearby lamppost.

Hotel staff were also filmed taking buckets of champagne and whiskey to Payne’s room. Receipts later showed that he spent more than $600,000 on whisky before his fatal fall.

His cousin missed a call from Liam

Speaking to ITV, Payne’s cousin Ross Harris recalled receiving a call from the singer on the day he died.

Harris, who taught Payne to play the piano when he was younger, said he missed the call because his phone was face down while he was recording.

He said he noticed the missed call roughly an hour or two later and tried to return it, but believes Payne had already died by then.

Looking back, Harris said the experience left him wishing he could change what happened.

He also offered a deeply personal reflection on Payne’s emotional state, saying the singer “didn’t feel very loved.” While fans clearly loved Payne, Harris said he believed his cousin “needed someone to love Liam.”

Fame from a young age

Harris also reflected on the impact of Payne entering the entertainment industry at such a young age.

Although Payne was in his thirties when he died, Harris said he was still essentially a young person within an industry that had never allowed him the opportunity to grow up in the same way as someone outside the world of fame.

He also pointed to the particular pressures faced by people working in entertainment, where personal mistakes can carry greater consequences because their image and health are exposed publicly.

As a tribute to his cousin, Harris has released a song titled Bones. Proceeds from the track will be used to raise money for causes that were important to Payne.

Investigation into Payne’s final days

Additional documents previously published by the Mail on Sunday included a WhatsApp conversation between hotel staff. Messages dated 14 October discussed how employees should handle Payne’s behaviour.

Authorities had also been called to the hotel before his death after staff raised concerns about his welfare.

Two hotel workers, Ezequiel Pereyra, 22, and waiter Braian Paiz, 26, were subsequently arrested and charged with supplying drugs to Payne.

Both men deny the allegations. They were later released on bail while awaiting trial, with legal sources indicating that negotiations over possible plea deals are ongoing.