Former “One Direction” star Liam Payne, who died in October, left behind an estate worth $32.3 million and had no will written before his death.
Cheryl Tweedy, Payne’s former partner and mother of his 8-year-old son, and music industry lawyer Richard Bray were selected as co-administrators of the estate, reported The Guardian.
Payne and Tweedy, former member of the pop group Girls Aloud, never married but were partners for over two years. According to the law, in the case someone dies without a will, the estate is inherited by the children given there is no living spouse or civil partner, per the BBC.
As administrators, Tweedy and Bray have been given limited authority over the estate; they will lead management over the money, but cannot distribute it. They are given the “power to preserve the deceased’s estate until a general grant is made,” reported the BBC.
Payne died Oct. 16, 2024, in Argentina “after falling from the third floor of a hotel,” an initial police statement said, per the Buenos Aires Times. A toxicology report found that Payne had cocaine, alcohol and a prescription antidepressant in his system at the time of death.
Thanatologists who performed an autopsy concluded Payne’s death was caused by “multiple trauma” and “internal and external hemorrhage” as a result of falling from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room, as previously reported by the Deseret News.
The autopsy report ruled out “self-harm of any kind and/or physical intervention by third parties.”
In wake of Payne’s death, his former “One Direction” bandmates — Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson — released a joint statement mourning the artist.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. 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,” the former band members wrote in a statement shared on Instagram.
The statement continued, “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.”