Liam Payne once claimed he was left scared after an encounter with hip hop moguls Sean ‘Diddy Combs and Jay-Z in a video that’s resurfacing in light of the singer’s shock death.

Payne made the comments in a 2017 appearance on The Graham Norton Show. He recalled meeting Diddy at a party and how the rapper lingered in their handshake for an uncomfortable amount of time.

‘I went over to speak to him and Jay-Z and as I shook his hand he just chuckle… [he had] the most evil laugh I’ve ever heard. So, I’m a little bit fearful of that man,’ Payne, then 24, said.

Payne said that Diddy held his hand for an uncomfortable amount of time in ‘the longest handshake ever,’ leaving him wondering, ‘when is this going to end?’

The video sparked wild conspiracy theories on Thursday in the wake of Payne’s death and the mounting allegations against Diddy, who is awaiting trial on sex trafficking and racketeering charges in a case that has rocked the music industry.

Liam Payne once claimed he was left scared after an encounter with hip hop moguls Sean ' Diddy Combs and Jay-Z
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Liam Payne once claimed he was left scared after an encounter with hip hop moguls Sean ‘ Diddy Combs and Jay-Z

Payne said that Diddy held his hand for an uncomfortable amount of time in 'the longest handshake ever,' leaving him wondering, 'when is this going to end?'
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Payne said that Diddy held his hand for an uncomfortable amount of time in ‘the longest handshake ever,’ leaving him wondering, ‘when is this going to end?’

Diddy is currently awaiting trial in a New York jail over federal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.

The clip has resurfaced following news of Payne’s untimely death in Argentina after he fell from a third floor balcony at his hotel and suffered a fractured skull.

Payne, who shot to stardom as a member of British boy band One Direction and grappled with intense global fame while still in his teens, sent shockwaves across the world as Argentine investigators continued their investigation at the scene.


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As fans and media bombarded the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of Argentina’s capital, the forensics unit worked inside on Thursday collecting evidence.

The Buenos Aires police said they found Payne’s hotel room ‘in complete disarray,’ with packs of clonazepam, a central nervous system depressant, as well as energy supplements and other over-the-counter drugs strewn about and ‘various items broken.’

Payne, right, is seen with Salma Hayek and David Williams during the interview in 2017
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Payne, right, is seen with Salma Hayek and David Williams during the interview in 2017

Payne also recalled being shoved by one of Jay-Z's bodyguard after he leaned in to speak to him. Jay-Z and Diddy are pictured in 2004
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Payne also recalled being shoved by one of Jay-Z’s bodyguard after he leaned in to speak to him. Jay-Z and Diddy are pictured in 2004

They added that a whiskey bottle, lighter and cellphone were retrieved from the internal hotel courtyard where Payne’s body was found.

Police said they had rushed to the hotel Wednesday in response to an emergency call just after 5pm local time that had warned of an ‘aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.’

A hotel manager can be heard on a 911 call recording obtained by The Associated Press saying the hotel has ‘a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol … He’s destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please.’

One of Liam Payne's final selfies in Buenos Aires was captioned: 'Lovely day in Argentina'
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One of Liam Payne’s final selfies in Buenos Aires was captioned: ‘Lovely day in Argentina’

The manager’s voice becomes more anxious as the call goes on, noting the room has a balcony.

Payne was known as the tousle-headed, sensible one of the quintet that went from a TV talent show to a pop phenomenon with a huge international following of swooning fans.

In recent years he had acknowledged struggling with alcoholism, saying in a YouTube video posted in July 2023 that he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment.