Former One Direction star Liam Payne was reportedly “forced” to remain in Argentina due to visa issues before his tragic death.
The Strip That Down hitmaker was announced dead last Wednesday (October 16) after he fell from his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. Liam was 31 years old when he died.
While he wasn’t married, he was in a relationship with Kate Cassidy. Liam shared a son, seven-year-old Bear, with his ex, Cheryl.
Liam Payne ‘forced’ to remain in Argentina before death
While in Argentina, Liam attended his One Direction bandmate Niall Horan’s gig. However, reports have since suggested that the reason Liam remained in the country was due to his US visa being rejected.
With hopes that he would renew his “extraordinary visa,” he had planned to travel to Florida with girlfriend Kate.
However, sources are now claiming that he was denied access to the US due to his previous struggles with alcohol. Liam had been open about his addictions and rehab stints in the past. As a result, he remained in Argentina while Kate left the country.
Reportedly, Liam’s visa was set to be approved two days after he died on Friday, October 20.
“One of the questions on the form asks, ‘Have you ever abused alcohol or drugs?’ Liam’s problems with drugs and alcohol are well documented. It is widely known that he had been to rehab in the US, so he had to tick the box, and because of this he had to have medical tests. He had to be checked out by a doctor and a psychiatrist,” an inside source told MailOnline.
“All this took time. So Liam was forced to stay in Buenos Aires longer than he had planned.”
Liam was ‘100 per cent sober’
Friends of Liam claimed that he passed his medical and psychiatric evaluations. Because of this, he would have received his visa.
At the time, he was said to be “100 per cent sober” and had an embassy meeting scheduled on Thursday (October 19) to pick the visa up.
An autopsy, performed by the Forensic Medical Corps at the Judicial Morgue on Viamonte Street, disclosed that he died from “multiple traumas”. His fall caused “internal and external bleeding”.
Niall, who was the last member of One Direction to see Liam, said his death “doesn’t feel real”.
He continued: “I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.”
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