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Liam Payne's family is sharing their grief in the aftermath of the One Direction alum's fatal fall in Argentina.

The late singer's loved ones issued a statement Thursday, a day after Liam fell from the balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina and died.

In a note shared with the BBC, Liam's family said they are "heartbroken" following the news of his passing, and are taking time to remember the pop star's personality and legacy.

3:58 PM PT -- The general director of Punta Mita Hospital said in a statement to TMZ ... "Recently, there have been defamatory statements made on social media platforms aimed at our hospital and our doctors.

"Every decision and action taken by our medical staff is guided by their professional commitment to safeguard lives and ensure the best possible care for all those who seek our services."

The matter is under legal review, and "we remain confident that any misunderstandings will be clarified in due course," Dr. Luis López Avelar said, calling the accusations "unfounded" and "harmful."

Joe Francis claims a "sick person" is trying to extort him for money in Mexico, threatening to release police photos of him and sensitive information ... so Joe's telling his own version of events.

The "Girls Gone Wild" founder just posted the photos he claims he's being extorted over ... he says they show his injuries from an alleged incident back in March, when he says he was beaten and robbed at gunpoint near his huge estate in Punta Mita.

Joe says he was jogging by the golf course in the Punta Mita Resort, running by Bill Gates' house, with his bodyguard trailing behind in a Mercedes-Benz -- when 8 masked gunmen appeared and grabbed him, pulling him into the bushes at gunpoint.

Rita Ora's clearly feeling the loss of Liam Payne ... getting so emotional at her show last night, she couldn't even sing -- and straight-up walked off the stage at one point.

The singer-songwriter performed in Japan just hours after news of Liam's tragic death in Argentina broke ... and, she played her hit song "For You" -- the track recorded for "Fifty Shades Freed," which features Liam.

While the song plays, Rita walks around the stage looking at the audience and waving her hands in the air. She's letting her fans drive this one -- allowing them to lead the music.

Kim Kardashian has added another superstar athlete to her SKIMS roster -- this time, it's Cleveland Cavaliers hooper Donovan Mitchell ... who fully committed to being a new undies model!!

Spida got half-naked for a locker room-themed photo shoot for the brand's new campaign ... just a few days before the NBA season kicks off on Oct. 22.

28-year-old Mitchell sported several different Cotton and Stretch undies from Kardashian's line ... and not only did he look good showing off his athletic bod -- he said he felt good in them, too.

T.I.'s son King Harris found himself locked up this week ... the 19-year-old was arrested in Georgia in a run-in with police.

According to reports, the rapper's teenager came onto a police officer's radar in Dunwoody, Georgia after he allegedly almost hit a cop cruiser while pulling out of a gas station Monday.

This prompted the officer to pull over King in the BMW he was driving ... and the officer allegedly smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle.

Los Angeles Rams lineman Conor McDermott had an important item stolen from him recently -- his team-issued iPad was taken from his car ... and now law enforcement is investigating the matter.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 31-year-old former UCLA Bruin's vehicle was in a residential area when his digital playbook was jacked.

No arrests have been made, but LAPD is working to track down the culprit.

Simon Cowell is taking a brief step back from the spotlight following the tragic death of former protégé Liam Payne.

"Britain's Got Talent," the long-running competition series created by Simon, canceled its Thursday taping after the One Direction star's passing in Buenos Aires, Argentina Wednesday.

This isn't surprising given Simon's long history with Liam and his band, One Direction. Remember, Simon formed the popular boy band on "The X Factor (UK)" ... another singing competition show created by the music mogul.

The Kamala Harris interview billed as her in the lion's den got as fiery as expected, with a heated exchange erupting with Fox News' Bret Baier over a Donald Trump remark about the "enemy within" America.

The Vice President's sit down with Bret lasted about 30 minutes, covering a slew of hot-button campaign issues ... like immigration, transgender issues, President Biden's mental acuity and, of course, her opponent.

That's when the fireworks really started as Bret asked Harris about the fact roughly half of U.S. voters want Trump back in the White House. As he put it to her, "Are they misguided the 50 percent? Are they stupid?"

Gwyneth Paltrow and Timothée Chalamet were caught smooching on the street in the Big Apple ... but TC's girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, has nothing to be jealous about ... 'cause it was only for a movie.

Gwyneth and Timothée were filming Wednesday on the set of their new sports flick, "Marty Supreme," in NYC, where the actors were seen in the throes of passion during one scene.

Check out the video ... Gwyneth, in a red gown, stands behind Timothée, in a suit and tie, attaching a necklace around his neck.

Kim Kardashian is realizing her dream of becoming an attorney at law ... well, sort of ... because she's playing a divorce lawyer on a new show, and looking smoking hot on set.

TMZ has the first look at Kim on the set of a new Ryan Murphy show called "All's Fair" ... a legal drama coming to Hulu ... and she's filming alongside her costar Naomi Watts.

Kim plays a divorce lawyer in an all-female law firm ... and she was shooting scenes Wednesday in Camarillo, California with Naomi ... and looking sexy in the process.

8:35 AM PT -- Good news ... Jared McCain has been discharged from the hospital and is now resting at home. He sustained pulmonary contusions, which are bruises on the lungs, from the fall during the Nets-Sixers game.

Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain was taken to the hospital after a scary fall during Wednesday night's game ... where the first-round draft pick smacked his head on the hardwood.

The alarming moment occurred during the fourth quarter of the Nets-Sixers game at the Wells Fargo Center ... when McCain, attempting to rebound his own miss, was contacted, causing him to fall backward and slam his head on the court.

The thud could be heard on TV ... and there was immediate concern for the 20-year-old hooper, who lay on the floor, visibly injured.

Ice Spice's weight-loss transformation was no fad -- she just pulled off her first pull-up in the gym, further proving that "phat butt" didn't happen overnight!!!

On Thursday, Ice, fresh from strutting her stuff at the recent Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, set up the camera and climbed up the weight rack like a pro to lift herself well past the bar!!!

Her strength's been building ... she first starts overhand before switching to the underhand technique. Both grips are legit in the military!!!

Liam Payne's girlfriend left Argentina without the singer days before his death ... saying she didn't want to stay in one place too long -- and, bailed after a 5-day trip turned into 2 weeks.

Kate Cassidy -- a social media influencer based in Miami -- posted a video chronicling her journey back to the States from Buenos Aires on Monday ... 2 days before Liam fell to his death at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel.

Cassidy starts the clip by saying she's leaving the country because she doesn't like sticking around in one place too long ... saying she'd originally planned to stay 5 days, but she'd stuck around for about 2 weeks -- and, she just needed to go home.

Tony Massarotti -- a well-known radio show host who was suspended last year following an insensitive joke involving Black people -- has come under fire again ... after he muttered a racial slur while live on air.

The latest foot-in-mouth moment happened on Wednesday's episode of "Felger & Mazz" -- a Boston afternoon drive show -- when Massarotti was talking with his cohost Michael Felger about his qualms with Gen Z.

The former Boston Globe sportswriter stated he believed the Z in Gen Z "stands for z*****head" -- a term commonly used to offend people of Asian descent.

Liam Payne's beloved professional soccer club is addressing the singer's tragic death ... sharing a heartfelt message in his honor.

The former One Direction member was a passionate soccer fan, specifically of West Bromwich Albion F.C. of the EFL Championship ... and attended numerous matches over the years.

Shortly after the news broke of Payne's passing ... WBA released a statement on social media.

Shortly before Liam Payne fell to his death from a balcony, a hotel manager reportedly called 911 to report the former One Direction star was wasted and destroying his room.

According to a 911 transcript, obtained by several media outlets, Payne was in the throes of a complete meltdown in his third-floor room at the CasaSur Hotel in Palermo, Buenos Aires.

CNN and La Nacion say the manager phoned a 911 operator around 5 PM Wednesday to get help. Here's a summary of their purported conversation ...