Liam Payne's Family Likely To Pursue Legal Action Against People Connected To Singer's Death
By Favour Adegoke on November 27, 2024 at 9:30 AM EST
Liam Payne's family is reportedly poised to take legal action over the passing of the British singer, who fell to his death at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Argentina.
As investigations into the circumstances surrounding the fatal incident continue, Payne's loved ones have seemingly perfected plans to pursue legal action against any individuals found to be involved in or responsible for the fall.
It comes after photos of Liam Payne's final moments surfaced online, where he can be seen being carried by three men to his room while under the influence.
Liam Payne's Family To Pursue Legal Action
Payne's family has seemingly resorted to taking legal action against anybody who might have had a hand in the singer's death.
The former One Direction bandmate member fell from the balcony of his third-floor room at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
According to Page Six, lawyers for the singer's family are already in the country and attended a court session on Tuesday.
Court documents obtained showed that the Paynes are being represented by music industry veteran lawyer Richard Bray, who is said to have handed over his legal interests to a local law firm in Buenos Aires.
A source who knew Payne's family shared that they were "100% sure" his parents, Geoff and Karen, and his siblings would want to seek justice for him if there was any foul play.
The Singer Was Trying To Escape From His Hotel Room
The recent update comes after photos of Payne's final moments surfaced online in which he can be seen being carried by three men, two of whom are said to be Hotel employees, to his room after he acted disruptive at the hotel lobby.
In the CCTV footage, Payne was clearly under the influence but managed to stand on his own 2 minutes before he was carried. When the hotel staff got him to his room, he struggled with them, clearly not wanting to go inside.
According to TMZ, a police report suggests the employees still went on to use a master key to gain entrance to Payne's room, put him inside, and remove a mirror from the wall directly outside his room, presumably so he wouldn't damage it.
Now, reports claim that the Hotel is to blame for Payne's death as they knew he was trying to escape from his room and had been threatening to use the balcony as an escape route, yet they left him by himself.
Hotel Staff Were Worried That Liam Payne Was 'Endangering Himself'
According to TMZ, the hotel staff may have been aware of Payne's intention to jump as a call transcript between 911 and one of the employees had the staff express fears he might use the balcony and accidentally hurt himself.
"We have a guest who is [allegedly] high and drunk; and when he is conscious, he is destroying his room and we need you to send someone, please. We need you to send someone urgently because I don't know if his life is in danger," the employee, identified only as a hotel manager named Estaban, told the dispatcher.
Esteban added, "He is in a room that has a balcony, and we are scared he might be endangering his life."
The Singer Once Said He Disliked Being Locked Up In Rooms
Payne previously spoke about his dislike of being locked up in hotel rooms after his One Direction management employed it at the height of their fame.
"When we were in the band, the best way to secure us — because of how big it got — was just lock us in our rooms. And, of course, what's in the room? Mini bar," Payne said during a podcast interview in 2021, where he weighed in on how he turned to alcohol to cope, per Page Six.
"So at a certain point, I thought, 'Well, I'm gonna have a party for one,'" he added at the time.
Liam Payne's Family Has A List Of Legal Charges To Pursue
Payne's family has a wide array of legal options to pursue against a potential defendant in the event that they contributed to the singer's death.
Buenos Aires-based Criminal lawyer Nicolás Durrieu told Page Six that if the hotel staff truly tried to lock him in, they could face charges of "abandonment of a person."
In this case, it could even get worse and be considered "aggravated" because a person died, with a maximum sentence of 15 years.
According to the lawyer, if the family chooses to pursue charges of "manslaughter," that carries a maximum of five years of prison in Argentina, while anyone convicted of drug facilitation or distribution could face 12 years of imprisonment.
"The legal system also allows the family to bring their own private criminal prosecution and their own investigation," Durrieu said. "Victims are very empowered and independent from the prosecutor. Usually, the family joins with the prosecutor, but not always."
