2 like 0 dislike
in General Factchecking by Newbie (290 points)

According to ABC News, a partial autopsy revealed that Liam Payne had multiple substances in his body, but also found that the cause of his death was from “multiple trauma” and “internal and external bleeding.” Twenty-five injuries were reported on Payne's body, the report stated that Payne's head injuries were sufficient to cause death and that the cause of death was related to the height of the fall, says Blackwelder. 

ago by (100 points)
1 0
This is a very exaggerated theory. Drugs spends a little to a while in your systems depends on where they have detected it. Following data from: https://www.drugs.ie/drugs_info/about_drugs/how_long_do_drugs_stay_in_your_system/
Alcohol: 3-5 days in urine, 10-12 hours in blood
Amphetamines: 1-3 days in urine and around 12 hours in blood
Barbiturates: 2-4 days in urine and 1-2 days in blood
Benzodiazepines: 3-6 weeks in urine and 2-3 days in blood
Cannabis: 7-30 days in urine and up to 2 weeks in blood
Cocaine: 3-4 days in urine and 1-2 days in blood
Codeine: 1 day in urine and up to 12 hours in blood
Heroin: 3-4 days in urine and up to 12 hours in blood
LSD: 1-3 days in urine and up to 2-3 hours in blood
MDMA (ecstasy): 3-4 days in urine and 1-2 days in blood
Methamphetamine (crystal meth): 3-6 days in urine and 24 - 72 hours in blood
Methadone: 3-4 days in urine and 24-36 hours in blood
Morphine: 2-3 days in urine and 6-8 hours in blood
It may be true that Liam have consumed drugs prior to his death, but nothing is proven that his cause of death was from the consumption of drugs. Drugs may have affected his body/mind prior, but no sources can say that was his cause of death. For example, this is as exaggerated as saying that an individual died from a lollipop because they found it within their body.
ago by (190 points)
0 0
Hey Robert, nice job with this fact check. You have listed a good source here, as ABC is a reputable company, however your claim that Liam Payne died becuase of drugs does not link up to the claim listed in the source. Just becuase it is true that Liam Payne had multiple drugs in his system when he died, does not mean that is the cause of his death. Be careful with this, as these articles will often centralize the information on a certain idea. In this case, the author goes fully into depth about the types of drugs that were in Liam Payne's system. However, one of the first things stated is that Liam Payne died becuase he fell from a high place, not becuase he overdosed on drugs. Besides that, nice job!
ago by (180 points)
0 0
This is really great info, you did a great job at fact checking this. I didnt know this information prior. Knowing this information mightnhelp other peoples theories and prove them wrong or right. Great job! RIP Liam Payne
ago by Newbie (200 points)
0 0
Hey! The source you provided is very well known and has always been known as credible, however drugs can stay in a human being's system for numbers days at a time and therefore could not be the only reason he died, especially with impact! Thanks.
ago by Newbie (200 points)
0 0
The detail and effort that was put into this was so beyond insightful. I can tell you know what you're talking about as it has clearly been throughly research. You are able to debunk the claim with plenty of evidence. It is also not too overdone, it's simple and intellectual, anyone could understand. But yet enough information to really understand what is going on!
ago by (160 points)
0 0
The source  you provided is very good here, ABC is a reliable source that gives accurate information. Its important to know the true cause of celebrities deaths to wash out conspiracies and other factors that could lead to misinformation. But the claim you made about drugs being the main reason he died isn't strong as the evidence you gave said otherwise. The evidence you gave says that the main cause of death was trauma to the body and internal and external bleeding so rather than saying it was the cause of his death you could say it was a factor to that death.
ago by Newbie (200 points)
0 0
A lot of time and effort went into this fact check which I can appreciate. I agree with you that just because there was a presence of drugs in his system, does not mean that he died from overdose or because of said narcotics. The media tends to look for the craziest story to sell which is why celebrity deaths are often picked apart and analyzed for the drama, but can be completely misleading. You definitely cleared this up! ABC also, in my opinion, is a credible news source.
ago by Newbie (210 points)
0 0
I do believe that although there was thorough investigation and although there were drugs in his system, that does not necessarily have to lead to his death and what happened. I like that you used the source abcnews.com as it seems like a reliable source. I think that although drugs can make differences in your perception, drugs take time to kick in and we don't know the exact time frame where everything happened.
ago by Novice (570 points)
0 0
This Was a super well-done fact check. I appreciate your in-depth reach search and layout of how long drugs and /or alcohol can linger in your symptom. Since Liam Paynes death was so public, it allows for people to make assumptions that aren't actually fact based. While there are people skeptic of him dying from overdose, you truly cleared this up.

28 Answers

5 like 0 dislike
by Novice (720 points)
selected ago by
 
Best answer

Although Liam Payne was found with drugs in his system when he died, that is a misleading claim due to the fact that the reason he died was because he fell off of his hotel balcony. According to NBC News, Liam Payne was extremely intoxicated the night of his death including reports of "pink cocaine" in his system along with other drugs including crack cocaine. "Pink cocaine" is an extremely dangerous drug which is a mix of methamphetamine, MDMA, and ketamine. This drug was found in his system but, his death was not because he overdosed, but instead because he was an unsafe level of intoxication and fell. BBC news reports that the hotel staff working before Liam Paynes death made two separate calls to the authorities to report unsafe behaviors because of drugs and alcohol and also to report that he was destroying his room. Today news states that Liam Payne was found dead on site after falling from his balcony. After his autopsy, it was clear that his reasoning for death was because of bleeding externally and internally, skull trauma, and 25 injuries to his body. So although drugs were in Liam Payne's system, his actual reason for death was due to his fall from the balcony and the injuries that corresponded with that. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/liam-payne-death-one-direction-pink-cocaine-toxicology-report-rcna176532 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj9jx89w490o

https://www.today.com/health/news/liam-payne-autopsy-report-cause-of-death-rcna175959
 

Exaggerated/ Misleading
ago by Newbie (250 points)
0 0
This is a thorough factcheck that provides detailed context for why this claim may be misleading. It expands on the part of the claim that is true by including more details on the drugs that were involved with Payne's death, while also clarifying his actual cause of death. The factcheck includes details of his autopsy that prove that Payne's death was caused by his fall off the balcony and not the drugs in his system. The factcheck also uses multiple accredited and reliable sources that are clearly cited.
ago by Newbie (220 points)
0 0
I really like how in depth you went with this fact check. I also like that you clarified that just because there were drugs in his system, doesn't mean that they were the actual cause of death. This original claim is very misleading, but your sources, especially the autopsy reports. If he really did die from drug overdose, the autopsy would have covered that and blatantly stated it. it is important that you made this distinction, because the original claim is extremely surface level and shows that they did not read up on the subject. Your evidence is also concrete and non-partisan, which is important when fact checking.
ago by Newbie (210 points)
0 0
This is a very well written fact-check that leaves readers with no doubt you know what you're talking about. You do a good job of clarifying the cause of death being more than just the multiple different drugs in his system, and you support this reasoning with evidence from the autopsy. Additionally, you use credible and reliable sources to back up your reasoning, which plays an important role. With such a recent event, there has been a lot of coverage and people messing with the story a little, so it's nice to finally understand what actually happened, and your fact-check helped to do this.
ago by (180 points)
0 0
"I think you did a good job clarifying the actual cause of death here. It’s a great point that while drugs were in Liam Payne’s system, the real cause of death was the fall and related injuries, not an overdose. The way the article framed it initially made it seem like drugs were the direct cause, which could mislead readers about the circumstances.
ago by Novice (600 points)
0 0
This is an extremely well done fact-check. You very clearly explain how this claim is false while still expressing that it's not an illogical jump. There's a difference between correlation and causation and you exemplify that with the statement, "This drug was found in his system but, his death was not because he overdosed, but instead because he was an unsafe level of intoxication and fell.". Along with the fact you consistently refer to your sources, backing up your claims as you make them. Super well done!
1 like 0 dislike
by Newbie (340 points)
Liam Payne died after a fall from his three-story hotel room on October 16th, 2024. Autopsies reveal that there was pink cocaine in his system when he died. Pink cocaine is a "mix of ketamine and illegal substances such as methamphetamine, MDMA (also called molly or ecstasy), opioids, or new psychoactive substances," and can be a hallucinogenic with a plethora of symptoms. Hotel staff reported Payne, before he died, as intoxicated and destructive. This is a partially true statement because Payne was under the influence when he died.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/pink-cocaine-liam-payne-death-what-know-rcna176556
True
by Genius (45.2k points)
0 0
How would you rate the claim? False? True? N/A? Please select a "rating" when submitting a fact-check.
by Newbie (210 points)
0 0
While you explained that Payne was found with drugs in his system, you never shared whether you believe he died from drugs. You mentioned he died after a fall, but you never expanded on the original fact you answered. Your source of NBC news is a credible source that explained the drugs found in Liam Payne's body.
by Novice (540 points)
0 0
The claim that Liam Payne's death was solely due to drugs is indeed misleading. While the presence of drugs in his system is noted, the preliminary autopsy report clearly attributes his death to the trauma from falling from the third floor. This distinction is crucial because it highlights that the fall itself, rather than the drugs, was the direct cause of death. It's essential for media outlets to report these findings accurately to avoid perpetuating misconceptions about the circumstances surrounding his tragic death. Understanding the full context can prevent the oversimplification of complex issues like substance use and its potential effects. What are your thoughts on how media coverage can impact public perception of such cases?
ago by (180 points)
0 0
I like your use of the source to explain what the drug was that Liam Payne was under the influence of as well as stating what the autopsy reported. However the statement grade of the claim being true is not correct. The claim states that cause of his death was due to drugs, when it was in fact from the impact of the fall and the injuries. The drugs had an influence on Paynes actions which lead to his fall but they were not the recorded cause of death.  The original claim is misleading and spreading incorrect information.
ago by Newbie (210 points)
0 0
I agree with you completely, the media fixating on the use of drugs has outshined the fact that what most likely killed him was the fall from his balcony. The sensationalism and snap judgments that are being made about his death detract from what the facts are. It's horrible to think that some claims by news outlets are misleading the public about his death.
1 like 0 dislike
by Newbie (300 points)

The claim that Liam Payne died because of a drug appears to be misleading. While it is true that the toxicology report shows that there are drugs in his system, the preliminary autopsy report states that his cause of death was because of his fall from the third floor. Although the hotel had asked for reinforcement from law enforcement to help with a guest who was “drunk with drugs and alcohol” (Blackwelder), and this state of mind could be speculated to be the cause of the fall, his death was overall a result of trauma induced by the fall itself, not the drugs. Many other news sites, NBC News, The Guardian, People,  have reported on similar headlines involving the fact Payne had drugs in his system but none of these articles indicate that drugs were the cause of his death.

 

Blackwelder, Carson. ABC News, ABC News Network, 21 Oct. 2024, abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/liam-payne-partial-autopsy-report-multiple-substances/story?id=114985701.

Exaggerated/ Misleading
by Newbie (480 points)
0 0
This is a very good fact check. You summarized the main claim, and the details of Liam Payne's autopsy report, and clearly stated why you think this claim is exaggerated/misleading. You also clearly stated that none of the articles indicated that drugs were the cause of his death, providing a credible source.
ago by (180 points)
0 0
I think you did a very good job fact checking this claim. You allowed us readers to see the main claim of the article, and gave us many details on Liam Paynes autopsy report. I also liked how you clearly stated your opinion on this topic saying that the claim is inaccurate, and misleading. I thought it was also very insightful when you stated that all of the articles you researched never mentioned that drugs were the cause of his death, and that only the non credible sources said this statement.
ago by (180 points)
0 0
I think this fact check is great. I like how you summarized the main point of the idea that he didn't die because of drugs but the fact that he was intoxicated with it. I also liked how you pointed out that no other sources indicated or stated that drugs were the reason of his death, clearly pointing out that anything stating that his death was because of drugs is false.
ago by Novice (570 points)
0 0
This fact check was overall super well done. You summarized both the main claim and separate subclaims, along with details of Liam Payne's autopsy report. You stated your own thoughts on the matter but had sources to back it up instead of leaving it up to the readers (which can be misleading).
0 like 0 dislike
by Newbie (250 points)

This claim is very misleading. The toxicology reports showed that Liam Payne had multiple different types of drugs in his system when he died, including pink cocaine which is a mix of ketamine, methamphetamine, MDMA, opioids, and possibly new psychoactive substances or caffeine. Although he had all of these in his system when he died, he ultimately died from falling off his balcony where he suffered multiple traumas and hemorrhages. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/pink-cocaine-liam-payne-death-what-know-rcna176556 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2024/10/21/what-to-know-about-liam-paynes-death-payne-had-multiple-drugs-in-system-report-says/

ago by (180 points)
0 0
I believe you are correct in stating that this claim is misleading and nullifies the other factors of his death. "Died because of drugs" insinuates that he overdosed or that his fall was a result of him being under the influence, which are both claims that are not backed up with facts and evidence. Ultimately, as you pointed out, the claim is misleading, though I would select that as your tag for this fact check.
0 like 1 dislike
by Newbie (260 points)

The claim that Liam died because of the recent drugs found in his toxicology report is somewhat misleading. This allows the reader to assume that his cause of death was solely because of the drugs that were found in his system after his death. However according to NBC news:

"An autopsy found that Payne had 25 injuries “compatible with those produced by a fall from height” and that his cause of death was “polytraumatism, internal and external hemorrhage,” the Argentina National Prosecutor’s Office said."

So while the drugs may have played a part in his fall, it is ultimately the height at which he fell and the internal bleeding that endured following the 3 story height fall. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/liam-payne-death-one-direction-pink-cocaine-toxicology-report-rcna176532

0 like 1 dislike
by Newbie (280 points)
Even though ABC news did find out that Liam Payne did have multiple substances in his body, it is important to also note that that was not his only cause of death. According to the ABC News report, Liam Payne also died from "multiple trauma" and "internal and external bleeding." The wording of this claim is extremely misleading and could convince audiences that a drug overdose was his only cause of death, when in reality, there were multiple causes for his death. While the claim is not technically not a "wrong" response, given there were substances in his body, it is simply not complete and does not have enough to back up that vague of a response.
Exaggerated/ Misleading
1 like 0 dislike
by Novice (700 points)

The title claims that celebrity Liam Payne died from drugs, which insinuates that he had overdosed, but that is not the case. 

In the article, Carson Blackwelder explains, "Payne's body was found in the inner courtyard of the hotel, where he was pronounced dead at the scene." Given this, the original claim is extremely misleading and deceiving. Blackwelder also shares "multiple substances in his system when he fell to his death from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room," which may have been where the confusion stemmed from, but there was nothing in the autopsy report that stated he had overdosed on drugs. What had been found in the report was that “Payne's head injuries were sufficient to cause death and the cause of death was related to the height of his fall.” This clearly resolves all other conspiracies regarding the stars passing and whether or not it was the drugs ingested. In a separate article, Chrissy Callahan reiterates, “Payne died as a result of “multiple traumatic injuries” and “internal and external bleeding” he sustained after falling from the balcony.”

The fall was what tragically killed him, not the substances taken prior. Although drugs may be factored into how he fell, it is still incorrect to claim his cause of death was because of them. 

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/liam-payne-partial-autopsy-report-multiple-substances/story?id=114985701

https://www.today.com/health/news/liam-payne-autopsy-report-cause-of-death-rcna175959

Exaggerated/ Misleading
0 like 0 dislike
by Newbie (320 points)
This is a false claim because this article was posted prior to his autopsy report being released to the public. In a more recent article by Today News ( https://www.today.com/health/news/liam-payne-autopsy-report-cause-of-death-rcna175959 ) the results of his autopsy are stated and it claims that it was "polytrauma internal and external injuries" which would occur from a fall to concrete rather that saying that it was a drug overdose.
False
0 like 0 dislike
by Newbie (250 points)
While Liam Payne did have multiple drugs in his body at time of death, that was not the ultimate reason for his passing, as he died after falling from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room. The ingested substances included "pink cocaine" – a recreational drug that typically is a mix of several drugs including methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA and others. The autopsy, however, revealed that Payne sustained twenty-five injuries from his fall. The report concluded that the head injuries alone were fatal, with the height of the fall being the contributing factor to his death.

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/liam-payne-preliminary-autopsy-report-114900131
Exaggerated/ Misleading
0 like 0 dislike
by (180 points)

Stating that Liam payne died of drugs makes it appear as though his cause of death was on overdose. The ABC News article used in your claim states that his cause of death were the injuries he faced after falling. So the claim is very misleading. Forbes reported that there were multiple hard drugs that were found in his system. However, it is unknown if he would have died from an overdose that day if he had not fallen from the balcony, so we cannot particularly say drugs were the exact cause of death. It is probable he could have made a recovery after all of the drugs were out of his system. The article linked below by the credible NBC News does a good job at explaining the events that led up to his death. Most, if not all articles circulating Liam Payne's death will mention the fact he was on multiple drugs at the time of death but state his injuries as the cause of his death. His official cause of death per the Argentina National Prosecutors Office is polytraumatism, external and internal hemorrhage. 

https://www.today.com/video/autopsy-report-reveals-liam-payne-s-cause-of-death-222178373892

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2024/10/21/what-to-know-about-liam-paynes-death-payne-had-multiple-drugs-in-system-report-says/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/liam-payne-death-one-direction-pink-cocaine-toxicology-report-rcna176532#

https://www.fiscales.gob.ar/fiscalias/el-fiscal-andres-madrea-recibio-al-padre-del-fallecido-musico-liam-james-payne/

Exaggerated/ Misleading
ago by Novice (500 points)
0 0
This is a sound fact check and delves into how ABC News' article is misleading regarding the nature of Liam Payne's death. The reports provided by Today News, Forbes, and NBC News are reliable as they all mention the press release given by the Public Prosecutor's Office in Argentina regarding Liam Payne's cause of death, which wasn't entirely by his drug consumption but by the trauma caused from his fall. By also providing a direct link to the press release is credible, especially concerning how the given article by ABC News can be misleading.
ago by (180 points)
0 0
This is a really credible factcheck. I liked your use of multiple sources to show the credibility of saying his death was from his injuries.  You did a good job at explaining the influence the drugs had on him while also debunking the claim of them being the cause of his death.
ago by (140 points)
0 0
This whole thing proves a really good point that drugs really can do anything to without you knowing all the consequences that can come with doing drugs.

Community Rules


Be respectful.

There is bound to be disagreement on a site about misinformation. Assume best intentions on everyone's part.

If you are new to factchecking, take some time to learn about it. "How to Factcheck" has some resources for getting started. Even if you disagree with these materials, they'll help you understand the language of this community better.

News Detective is for uncovering misinformation and rumors. This is not a general interest question-answer site for things someone could Google.

Posting

The title is the "main claim" that you're trying to factcheck.

Example:
Factcheck This: Birds don't exist

If possible, LINK TO to the place you saw the claim.

Answering

LINK TO YOUR EVIDENCE or otherwise explain the source ("I called this person, I found it in this book, etc.")

But don't just drop a link. Give an explanation, copy and paste the relevant information, etc.

News Detective is not responsible for anything anyone posts on the platform.
...