Geoff Payne, father of the late Liam Payne, made his first public appearance since his son's untimely demise at the age of 31. Geoff journeyed from the UK to Argentina and was seen departing his hotel on Friday morning, en route to the Buenos Aires Judicial Office, as reported by TMZ. Dressed in a navy suit, Geoff navigated the streets with a somber expression. Liam Payne tragically fell from the third-floor balcony of his Buenos Aires hotel on Wednesday, the circumstances of which remain uncertain—whether intentional or accidental. An autopsy conducted on Thursday suggested that Payne might have been unconscious at the moment of his fatal fall. Witnesses recounted to TMZ that Payne exhibited erratic behavior prior to the incident.

"Liam will forever live in our hearts, and we will remember him for his kind, funny, and brave soul," the family shared in a joint statement on Thursday. The former members of One Direction also released a collective statement the same day, expressing their devastation. "We are completely devastated by the news of Liam's passing," the message from Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson read. "In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly." They further added, "The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you, Liam."

Liam Payne rose to fame after the formation of One Direction on "The X Factor" in 2010. Simon Cowell, who discovered the group, shared his profound grief on Instagram. "You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens," Cowell wrote. "Liam, I am devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you." Cowell reminisced about their shared moments, describing Payne as kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, focused, and deeply passionate about music and his fans.

Payne auditioned for the UK singing competition series in 2008, where he met future girlfriend Cheryl Cole. The couple dated from 2016 to 2018 and had a son, Bear, who is now seven. Cole, now 41, was one of the judges alongside Cowell and Louis Walsh when Payne, then 14, first auditioned for the show. "When I’m at school, in general, I think about singing all the time," Payne told producers before his audition. "I should really be concentrating on my work, but I just think about singing too much. It’s a dream and I’d love to do it." Payne advanced to the judges' house stage segment before being eliminated by Cowell, who later expressed regret over the decision.

Two years later, Payne returned to "The X Factor" for Season 7. For his 2010 audition, the then-16-year-old performed "Cry Me a River," inspired by Michael Bublé’s version, in front of Cole, Cowell, and other judges. "You’ve definitely got it. Whatever it is, you’ve got it," Cole told Payne. "And I thought your voice was really, really powerful." The group released four albums until Malik announced his departure from the band in March 2015. Payne expressed understanding for Malik's decision, stating, "He had to do what he had to do, really, for himself. It’s fine." After Malik's exit, One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.

In 2017, Payne mentioned that all was "fine and good" with Malik despite the latter's negative comments about being part of the band. Years before his death, Payne candidly discussed his time in One Direction on Jessie Ware’s podcast "Table Manners" in 2019. "There’s no stop button," he told Ware. "You’ve got no control over your life. That’s why I lost complete control of everything." Payne found the split "really scary at first" but was relieved when it was over. He embarked on a solo career, releasing one album, "LP1," in 2019, and had begun working on a follow-up. However, Payne admitted struggling to break the partying and overworking habits he developed while in the group. He resolved, "You’re either going to end up a crazy child star who dies at whatever age, or you’re going to live life and actually get on with it."

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